The Kingdom of Aperture
by Shadow's Vale
Summary: It's the middle ages in a kingdom called Aperture. A man named Wheatley moves into the kingdom in search of a better life. But as the new Joker to the Queen, what secrets within the castle will surface and what effect will they have on the future?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello fellow Portal fans. Here's a story I came up with while working on "A Collection of Short Stories." **

**The theme "Kings, Queens, and Jokers" came up, and suddenly this whole idea for a new story came into my head. I don't ususally write from Wheatley's POV, so this is a first for me. Here's to hoping you guys like this. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Portal or any of it's characters.**

...

Being a Joker in the middle ages was hard. Being a Joker in the kingdom of Aperture in the middle ages was even harder. Something Wheatley wished someone would have told him sooner. He had left his home to move into the main town with hopes of making a better living. When he got the job as Joker to the Queen, he thought he had finally started doing just that. Little did he know, however, that although the pay was better, the job itself, was not. Day after day, he was put through humiliating and usually painful situations by the Queen, who was very beautiful, but also very cold-hearted. Wheatley often wondered why she was that way. Her sister, on the other hand, was equally as beautiful, but a much kinder person, although she never seemed to really paid much attention to what the Queen did. The Princess was so rarely seen in fact, that most towns people believed she was merely the ghost of the Queen's heart. But having the fortune (or miss-fortune) of working in the castle, Wheatley knew for himself, she was a real person.

He lived in a room in the servants quaters at the back of the castle. On the right of him lived the cook, Daniel, and on the left lived the maid Eliza, who had a little eight year old girl name Michelle (Chell). The little girl often came to Wheatley's room, eager for him to play with her. He often told her jokes, or put on puppet shows with whatever items he could find in his room. She never spoke to him and once he asked Eliza about it. She simply told him Chell couldn't speak. He thought it was tragic for a little girl to be dealt that kind of fate.

Today was the Queen's birthday, and Wheatley knew it was his job to entertain her until her party. He hoped that since it WAS her birthday, that she wouldn't put him through too much. He walked down the corridors to the Queen's chambers, dressed in his brightly colored clothes and hat, which had three points, or "limbs" as Wheatley liked to call them.

He walked up and knocked on the Queen's door.

"You may enter."

Wheatley pushed open the door. The Queen stood there in her fancy white and gold dress, which matched in hue to the long white hair on her head and the golden yellow of her eyes.

"I'm here for your entertainment, my Queen." He bowed.

"Obviously, what else would you be here for." She said it as a statement rather than a question.

"Of course." Wheatley said.

The Queen thought for a moment. "I want you to tie raw meat to your legs. Once you have done so, meet me in the back courtyard."

Wheatley was afraid of the reason as to why she wanted that. But he simply said, "As you wish."

Wheatley left her chambers and started on his way to the kitchen, wondering, and worrying, about the Queen's request. After several minutes Wheatley found the servant entrance to the kitchen. He went inside and asked Daniel for the meat. Daniel asked him what kind. Wheatley didn't honestly know. The Queen hadn't specified. He decided steak would most likey work. Daniel didn't ask why, he just gave Wheatley two large steaks. He thanked Daniel and, with steaks in hand, began heading to his room. He was almost sure there was some string there. He had used it to make a homemade puppet to entertain Chell with. As he walked down the corridors, the smell of the meat was turning his stomache. He hoped to reach his room and get back to the courtyard quickly. He wanted whatever this was to be over with. Although that was true about almost everything the Queen put him through.

Once he reached his room, he put the steaks on his table. Luckly they were wrapped in cloth, so it kept most of the blood off of everything. He started looking around for the puppet. He couldn't remember where he left it.

_Oh, wait. I think I let Chell take it with her._

He left his room and walked one door down. Knocking softly, he waited for a reply. A moment later Chell opened the door. He asked her for the puppet. She didn't seem to understand why. She wanted to keep it. He promised her he'd give it back. Reluctantly, she went to her room and re-emerged, puppet in hand. He thanked her and went back to his room.

After removing the string and cutting it in half, Wheatley picked up the meat and headed to the back courtyard. Once there he sat down on a stone bench. Placeing one steak on his left leg and tied it securely with one half of the string. He did the same for his right leg as well.

"Is this to your satisfaction, my Queen?"

She glanced down at his legs. "Yes, that's fine."

Suddenley Wheatley could hear the sounds of the Queens two dogs heading their way. Wheatley froze. He knew why she had asked him to tie the meat to his legs.

Wheatley screamed as the dogs bit his legs repeatedly to remove the steaks. After several very painful minutes, they managed to remove them and ran off to eat their reward.

"That will be all for now." the Queen said, leaving him bleeding in the courtyard.

"Yes, my Queen." Wheatley said quietly.

...

It had been painful, but the castle physician had managed to bandage Wheatley's legs. Luckily, the dogs didn't bite too deeply, so the bleeding was able to be stopped. The physician had asked once how he got hurt so badly. This had been at his first visit. After she realized he was the Queen's new jester, she never asked again.

Thanking her, he left the physician's room, and headed back to his own.

...

**So? What do you guys think so far?**

**If you read, please review.**

**NOTE: I'll try to update in a timely manner, but please note that I have a child and two other stories I'm currently working on. I have a hard time focusing on one story at a time. :D I have way too much fun writing sometimes.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This chapter will introduce a new important character to the story. Sorry if things are kind of boring. They'll get better I promise.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Portal. It's a shame really...**

...

Sitting in his room, Wheatley lightly rubbed his now bandaged legs. They still hurt quite a bit, but they were starting to feel a little better.

Looking across the room, Wheatley noticed the puppet lying on the table. He had promised Chell he'd bring it back to her. Getting up slowly with a slight groan, he walked over to the table and picked it up. He then headed next door to Chell's room. He knocked twice and Chell answered.

"Hey, here's the puppet. I promised I'd bring it back didn't I?"

Chell took the puppet in hand. She rubbed it's now bald "head". There had been string here before. Noticing the slightly confused and sad look on her face, Wheatley knew he had to come up with an explaination.

"He got a hair cut. It's dreadfully hot these days, so I thought he might feel better if he were cooler."

Chell looked up, she wasn't convinced, but didn't indicate so. Wheatley, thinking she bought his story, smiled. Chell grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room. She then handed him the puppet.

"You want me to put on a puppet show for you?"

Chell nodded and smiled.

Wheatley smiled. "Ok." He slipped the puppet on his hand.

...

After about an hour of jokes and stories, Chell was happy. The puppet took a final bow, and Wheatley took it off and handed it back to her. She took it, got up, and walked over to put it on her bed. She came back to Wheatley and climbed up into his lap. He tried to muffle a groan of pain. Chell heard it anyway. She looked at him, concerned filled her little eyes.

Seeing the look on her face made him feel horrible.

_I wish she didn't look at me like that._

"I'm ok, Chell." He tried to reassure her. "Just a little sore."

Chell didn't know how to indicate she wanted to know why. Wheatley picked her up and sat her down in the chair.

"Well, I have to go. It's the Queen's birthday and I have to make her happy too. You have fun with the puppet, ok?"

Chell nodded and came up to Wheatley to give him a hug. He smiled.

"I'll see you later." And with that, he left the room.

...

It was less than an hour before the Queen's birthday party was to begin. It would be Wheatley's job to entertain not only the Queen, but all of her guests as well. Most of them would be other royals or high ranking nobles. He wondered to himself if the Princess would be there.

He was walking through the throne room when the front doors swung open. Guards, servants, and a loud cheerful voice indicated that the King had come home from his trip. The Queen mainly ran the kingdom while the King often left to visit other kingdoms to make alliances and trade agreements. Wheatley didn't know how someone as kind and cheerful as him could marry someone like the Queen. She was nothing like him at all.

Upon hearing the King's voice, the Queen entered the room.

He looked over at her. "Happy Birthday, my dear. You looked enchanting."

This won a rare smile from the Queen. "How was your trip?"

"Oh, boring really. Just a bunch of old royals trying to hog all of thier money. Business as usual." He handed his travel robe to his personal servant. "Put this in my room."

The servant nodded and left the room without a word.

"So, how has your birthday been so far?" he asked, placing a small kiss on her cheek.

"Quite satisfactory."

"Excellent." The King smiled. He noticed Wheatley watching the exchange.

"Jester, come here for a moment."

Wheatley complied.

"I want you to know that I'm very pleased with how well you do your job. My wife seemes much happier with you then she has ever been with any of her previous jesters."

Wheatley bowed. "Thank you, my King."

The King looked back at the Queen. "Well I better get changed out of my travel clothes. I need something better suited for you party." He gave her another quick kiss, then looked back to Wheatley. "You keep up the good work."

Wheatley bowed again. "I will, your Majesty."

The King nodded. "Alright, we're done here." He left the room.

The Queen looked over to Wheatley. "Follow me. I have something I want you to do."

Slightly frightened, Wheatley slowly followed her. He was terrified at what she would do now.

...

Fifteen minutes later, Wheatley was in the back courtyard again. This time he was strapped, standing up, to a board that was painted red and white, like a target. Needless to say, he was in the middle of it. The Queen was standing several feet in front of him, holding a bow with a quiver full of arrows next to her. Wheatley shuddered. He was almost sure this was going to be extremely painful. The Queen pulled out an arrow from the quiver, placed it into the bow, took aim, and fired. Whealey flinched, waiting for impact, only to discover the arrow was on his left, in the board.

The Queen repeated this four more times, each time Wheatley was afraid she would hit him.

"This is too boring." The Queen said.

_Oh, good. Now maybe she'll let me off of here._

"I know a way to make this more fun."

Wheatley tensed. The Queen left the courtyard. Wheatley was left to his thoughts.

_What could she possibly do to make this 'more fun'?_

Before he could think of anything, the Queen returned with a servant who was holding a torch, and a new quiver, from which the Queen pulled out another arrow. Wheatley noticed the arrow looked much different than the first ones. The Queen then put the end of the arrow into the flame of the torch...

_Oh, god..._

...placed it into the bow...

Wheatley closed his eyes.

...aimed...

He waited for the arrow to hit him. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes to find the servant aproaching him to remove him from the board. The Queen was nowhere in sight.

...

**So how am I doing so far? **

**Again, sorry if things are a little boring at the moment. Trying to give everyone a feel for some of the characters first. Mostly GLaDOS and Wheatley for now. **

**Now just to clarify (because I want to make sure I haven't confused anyone) GLaDOS is the Queen, and Cave is the King. I know I haven't actually mentioned them by name yet.**

**Just wondering if anyone has any idea who the Princess is? (She has only been mentioned so far. We'll get to see her in later Chapters. It might be obvious, but just in case I wanted to ask. LOL)**

**Third chapter may take a little bit. But good news is, my AC will be replaced tommorrow, so that's one less thing to worry about. :)**

**If you read, please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Chapter three is here! I think this one is a bit longer than the others have been. Please let me know of any spelling mistakes I may have made. I used a dictionary ALOT on this chapter. (I'm a horrible speller.)**

**A dream, an argument and a mystery. Enjoy!**

...

Wheatley was baffled. He wondered what could make the Queen have a sudden change of heart. Deciding that he shouldn't dwell on his good luck, least something happen to change it, he thanked the servant for getting him off the board and headed back inside the castle. It was almost time for the Queen's party anyway.

...

The Queen's Party was now in full swing. Wheatley was currently entertaining an entire ballroom full of royals. He felt he must have been doing a good job because people were laughing and having a good time. Wheatley took breaks every so often. The Queen seemed too busy to notice or care. He wanted to take full advantage of that. Walking around the room he heard part of the Queen's conversation.

"GLaDOS, sweetheart, excellent choice on the wine this evening. You never fail to disappoint." said a tall skinny woman, a little on the tipsy side.

GLaDOS gave a slight smile. "I sure hope that continues."

"My Dear, are you enjoying your party?" The King's booming voice filled the air.

"Of course. I'm quite happy you managed to make it Cave."

Cave kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't dream of letting you down."

He flashed a smile. A short, round man came walking up to the royal couple.

"Ah Cave, there you are. I heard you just got back from the Mesa Kingdom. You _must_ tell me all about your trip."

The round man was now gently pulling on Cave's arm.

...

The rest of the party went pretty smoothly. Wheatley managed to smuggle out a small piece of cake for Chell. One by one, the castle emptied untill only it's occupants remained. Wheatley was exausted. He had spend the majority of the day on his feet.

He headed for his room. As he passed through the servants wing, he noticed how exausted everyone else looked too. Everyone except Chell. Of course, she didn't actually have a servant's job for the most part. Now occasionally other servants would ask for her help reaching or crawling into spaces they were too big for, but that didn't happen too often.

Reaching his room, Wheatley began to remove his clothes until all he was left wearing were his underwear. Crawling into bed, he covered up and drifted off to sleep.

...

_Wheatley wasn't sure where he was. It looked like a small meadow, but he didn't recognize it. Walking, he noticed flowers seemed to appear out of thin air. He also noticed as he walked, the world seemed to build itself in the distance in front of him and disassemble itself in the distance behind him. He kept walking until he came to a small hill. He began to climb up. As he climbed he noticed a woman in white standing at the top. Her back was facing him. He quickened his pace. Just as he was about to reach the top, a hooded figure holding a dagger suddenly materialized in front of the woman. Before Wheatley or the woman had time to react, the hooded figure stabbed the woman in the heart. Wheatley froze for a moment. The hooded figure disappeared and Wheatley ran as fast as he could to reach the woman. He knelt down beside her and reach out his hand..._

Sitting bolt upright, Wheatley tried to catch his breath. Another crash of thunder filled the room. He laid back down and stared at the ceiling. He was trying to make since of the dream. He wondered who the woman was and who the hooded figure was suppose to be. Rubbing his eyes he decided to shrug it off. It didn't matter anymore anyway. Wheatley tried to go back to sleep, but the storm wouldn't let him. Sighing, he got up and decided to roam the castle for a bit. He got dressed in some comfortable clothes and headed out into the hall.

It was pretty dead in the castle halls this late at night. Wheatley could hear his own footsteps. He wanted to go out to the back courtyard. Another shot of thunder reminded him that it wasn't a good idea. He decided to head upstairs.

...

The second floor didn't really have much. Just more rooms for the guards, mostly bodyguards. Walking down the hall Wheatley saw one guard on his nightly patrol. The man nodded at the jester in recongnition as they passed each other. Reaching the next set of stairs, Wheatley went up.

...

The third floor was nothing but storage rooms.

_Completely boring._

He headed up the final set of stairs.

...

Half-way up, Wheatley could hear voices. Only the King and Queen were on this floor. He knew he probably shouldn't listen in, but curiosity got the better of him. He finished asending the stairs, careful to peak around to see which room they were in. It looked and sounded as though they were in the King's room. Wheatley quietly snuck up to the door and listened.

"God, do we really have to go through this?" Cave asked, irritated.

GLaDOS stood there with her arms crossed.

"Yes we do. You leave for two months, come back, spend my entire birthday party talking to that fat prick, and now your telling me your leaving again in two days. Did it even occur to you _at all_ that I might want to see you?"

Cave sighed. GLaDOS glared. Wheatley could hear the pain in GLaDOS's voice. Apparently Cave did not.

"You know, I'm tired of hearing this. I work my ass off dealing with the foreign affairs of this kingdom. The least you could do is appreciate it!" Cave slammed his book.

"You wouldn't be _anywhere_ without me. _I_ was born into the throne. The only reason you even _have_ a royal title is because of me. So don't even start talking to me about appreciation!"

"Get out. Now." Cave glared at her.

With that GLaDOS turned and headed toward the door.

...

Realizing the Queen was heading for the door, Wheatley tried to run back down the stairs. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough.

"What are you doing up here?" GLaDOS snapped.

Wheatley winced and turned to face her.

"I'm so sorry, my Queen. I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd..."

"Thought you'd eavesdrop on a private converstation?" GLaDOS snapped.

Wheatley could see the tears she wouldn't let fall.

"N..no. I just thought I'd go on a walk around the castle. At least until the storm stopped. I got up here and I heard arguing. I know I shouldn't have listened, my Queen. I...I'm so sorry. It may not mean much, but he shouldn't have been so rude and mean. A man is supposed to cherish his wife not belittle her."

GLaDOS just looked at him for a moment. He waited to hear what punishment he was going to get for this.

"Go."

Wheatley wasn't sure if he heard right. He stood there.

"I said go. Don't make me regret it."

Wheatley nodded and thanked her. He ran the entire way back to his room.

...

The next morning he got out of bed. He was shocked GLaDOS let him go so easily the night before. He wondered if she was going to punish him for it today instead. He shuddered at the thought. Getting up he put on his clothes and headed out to the kitchen to get breakfast.

As he exited his room, he ran into Eliza. She seemed frantic.

"Hey Eliza. What's wrong?"

Eliza looked up at him. "Chell's missing. I went back to our room to see if she was hungry and she wasn't there! I've looked everywhere. What if she went somewhere she's not allowed? Oh, the Queen will be furious!"

Wheatley tried to calm her down. "I'll help you find her."

Eliza nodded.

"Now where would she most likely go if she wasn't where she's supposed to be?"

"The third floor. She's always wanting to see what's in those rooms. She seems to think she'll find something special. But I've already looked for her up there."

"Well it never hurts to look again. You go back and check the room and anywhere else you've already checked. I'll double check the third floor."

Eliza nodded and ran off to look for her daughter. Wheatley headed to the nearest staircase.

Passing through the second floor, Wheatley found his way to the only staircase leading up. He climbed it.

It was pretty dark up there. He could barley see in front of him. He began walking down the hallways. He attempted to open every door he came across. Most were locked. He didn't figure Chell would be able to get in them.

Of the few that were unlocked, Wheatley didn't find Chell in any of them. As he was about to head back downstairs, he noticed a small faint light coming from the upper left of the hallway. Curious, he slowly walked towards it. As he got closer to the light, he noticed it was coming from under a door that he didn't notice before. As a matter of fact, the door was the same color and texture as the wall making it invisible in such a dark hall. If it hadn't been for the faint light, Wheatley was sure he'd have never known it was there.

Searching for a handle, he found a tiny crevice, just big enough to pull on. He tried to open it. It was locked.

_Well odds are Chell's not in here either._

Suddenly the light fanished. Wheatley wondered what or who could be in there. Wheatley knew everyone in the castle and nobody was known to live on this floor. All the servants and lower guards lived on the first floor, upper guards lived on the second floor and the King and Queen lived on the fourth floor.

Not knowing what else to do, Wheatley made a mental note to come back to this door another time. He turned around and headed downstairs to find Eliza.

...

**So what do you guys think? Any guesses on what's behind the mysterious door?**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey everyone. I know it's been almost two months since I updated. I can honestly say it's been partly to blame on me being busy, but some of it was I just didn't feel up to writing.**

**However, I haven't forgotten this story, or you guys reading it, so I hope you all will enjoy this one. (Anyone reading my other Portal story "Life Experiences", I've kinda hit a brick wall with that one. I'm working on getting past it, but I am sorry for the delay on it.)**

**Anyway, enough from me. On to what you're here for...**

...

Wheatley ran down the stairs, nearly knocking over several people in the process. Spouting quick apologies, he reached the first floor and continued to the servent's quarters. Upon arriving he saw Eliza pacing the hall, chewing on her nails nervously.

"Well, she's definately not on the third floor. All the rooms are either locked or empty." Wheatley said, slightly out of breath.

Eliza continued to bite her nails. "Oh, god. Where could she have gotten to?"

Wheatley didn't have any ideas. He placed a comforting hand on the maid's shoulder. "We'll find her."

"I sure hope so." she muttered.

...

Hours went by, and still no sign of Chell. It was getting close to dark. Eliza had been pacing the halls all day, not even stopping to eat anything. Wheatley felt for the woman. If he had a child, he didn't think he could handle something like this.

The head cook came out of the kitchen, carrying a bucket of raw meat. Figuring Eliza would be too frantic to talk to, he walked over to Wheatley.

"Any luck finding the girl?"

Wheatley shook his head. "Unfortunately."

"Sorry to hear that."The cook paused for a moment. "Well, I'm off to feed the vicious monsters the Queen calls dogs. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for her."

Wheatley gave a small smile. "Thanks, Daniel."

"No problem." With that he was off, bucket in hand.

Although Daniel rarely talked, he was always more than willing to help a fellow servant. Almost all the servants treated each other like an extended family. Wheatley found that to be a comfort.

Getting up from his seat, he walked over to Eliza and placed a hand on her shoulder again. She looked up at him, eyes tired from worry.

"Daniel is feeding the dogs. He's going to look for her on the way."

She nodded softly.

...

It was cold now, and Chell wished more than ever that she could speak. They had stopped barking and growling for the most part, save for the few times she moved. She huddled in the corner to keep as far away from the dogs as possible. All she had wanted to do was pet them. Her mom had always told her they were dangerous, but Chell had watched the Queen play with them, and they seemed nice. Not so much now.

She wondered how long she was going to be stuck there. Surely someone would find her. Chell didn't even care if it was the Queen herself at this point. All she wanted to do was go home. She looked for something to help her get someone's attention. All she could find was some bones that looked like it belonged to a small animal, and they were right next to the dogs.

She stood up slowly and attempted, for the sixth time, to quietly move past the dogs. As she reached the first dog, he suddenly charged toward her, barking and snapping. She jumped back, barley missing being bitten, and went back in the corner. Now both dogs were barking again, and Chell huddled into the floor and began to cry.

_"Calm down in there."_

Chell looked up at the sound of Daniel's voice...

...

A few minutes later, Daniel returned...with Chell in tow.

Eliza let out the breath she had been holding. "Oh, thank God your alright." She looked at Daniel. "Where was she?"

"In the dog's pen. She was huddled in a corner crying."

Eliza gasped and looked back at Chell. "What in God's name were you doing there?"

Chell just looked at the ground. She was shaking slightly.

Wheatley walked up to the girl. "If I had to guess, I'd say she was probably trying to pet them."

Chell slowly nodded.

Eliza sighed. "You know better than to go near those dogs. They are dangerous!"

Chell just sniffed and ran up to hug her mother. She was shaking more now.

"Well, you've had quite the scare today. But, next time I tell you something is dangerous, you best listen to me, do I make myself clear?"

Chell nodded.

"Good. Well, it's been quite a long day for all of us. It's probably best for us to all head to bed."

Daniel and Wheatley nodded as Eliza escorted her daughter to their room, (AN: who would probably have cynophobia after this).

For the next few days, Chell wouldn't leave the castle. She stayed in the servants quarters. This suited Eliza just fine. It kept her safe.

Wheatley hoped Chell would bring herself to go back outside again. She loved the outdoors, and Wheatley would hate for that to be forever ruined for her.

...

Wheatley was in the back courtyard thinking. More specifically, he was thinking about the hidden door on the third floor. He had actually spent the past several days trying to come up with an answer for what was behind it. Initially, he thought someone might be living in there, but then he figured the most likely explaination was that someone was secretly using the room for something. Who and what he didn't know. He was so lost in thought, he didn't notice GLaDOS walk up to him.

"And what exactly is it your doing?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice, scrambling to his feet.

"Oh..., um. Nothing important."

"Good. Come with me."

He obeyed without question and proceeded to follow her.

As they walked, Wheatley continued to wonder about the door.

_Who would need a secret room? Why would they need it? When I pulled at the crevise, the light went out, so does that mean they know someone found it? If so, do they know it was me?_

He was thinking of so many questions, that he didn't notice GLaDOS had stopped, bumping into her. Upon realizing this, he began to bow.

"I'm so sorry, my Queen. I didn't mean to..."

The Queen raised her hand, cutting him off. He looked around him. He quickly realized they were at the stocks.

"Put your head and hands in place."

Inwardly groaning, Wheatley did as he was instructed. GLaDOS locked him in and then walked up next to a barrel several feet away.

_What's in that barrel?_

He watched as she removed the white gloves that normally covered her hands. They had a pale tone, and looked so delicate.

_Wow. You'd never guess someone so hard could look so soft._

She reached into the barrel and pulled out something small. It appeared to be leaking.

_What the...umf_

Wheatley's thoughts were interupted by a small wet sponge hitting his face. Then a second one. A third. This continued until the entire barrel was empty.

GLaDOS pulled out a small cloth and proceeded to dry her hands. Once she was done, she approached Wheatley, released him, and walked back to the castle without a word.

_This is all she brought me here for? Wet sponges?_

Confused, he followed the direction the Queen had gone.

...

Night had fallen, and Wheatley was enjoying a nice cup of tea. Today had been an odd one. His "torture" had been anything but, save for a bit of embarassment. He wondered if the Queen was feeling ok. This wasn't like her. Usually, when she was done with him, he was either in intense pain, or scared for his life...or both. He decided not to dwell too much on it. It was a positive change for him, so he was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

Finishing his tea, Wheatley returned the cup to the now empty kitchen. It seemed so quiet compared to mealtimes, although he quite liked how barren the castle became at night. He'd come to love roaming the corridors. Occasionally, he would run into a guard or two, but most of the time it was just him. He wasn't really tired yet and since tonight seemed as good a night as any he decided to take a stroll.

Humming as he went, he decided to check out the third floor. He hoped to catch that light on again. Reaching the third floor, he was met with disappointment. No light. He sighed.

After a while of roaming, and checking the door each time he passed it, he started to feel a bit tired and decided to turn in for the night. As he was passing Eliza's door, he thought he heard crying. Concerned and curious, he gave the door a small knock. Nobody answered, but he could still here the crying. He knocked a bit louder. Still no answer. He decided to open the door.

"Hey, Eliza? Is everything ok?" As he peeked into the room, he noticed the maid holding something.

"Eliza?"

The maid turned to face him. In her hands was a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Eyes widening, Wheatley walked into the room.

"Whoa. Where did he come from?"

"Close the door please. The hallways are very drafty and he doesn't need to get sick."

He complied.

"Now, as for the baby, I found him in town, abandonded. I decided to bring him home. I couldn't just leave him there."

Wheatley noticed something. In her voice. There was more to it than that.

"So where did you find him?"

"I told you, in town."

"I heard that. I ment _where_ in town?"

Eliza rocked the now calm baby. "On the side of the road past the market. Look all that matters is that he's safe now."

Wheatley could tell she was witholding something. Deciding it was best not to push her, he changed the subject.

"What's his name?"

Eliza smiled. "Doug."

...

**Poor Chell, she had a hell of an experience. Next time maybe she'll listen to Eliza.**

**A kinder GLaDOS? or is she toying with him?**

**Well, there's a new baby, and Wheatley seems to think Eliza is being less than honest about where he came from. **

**Thoughts/ideas?**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: A double update! I'm trying to make up for some lost time. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything but the OC's.**

...

Wheatley watched as Eliza placed baby Doug in a bassinet. It was dark blue with a white lace trim. It looked brand new.

_How did she afford to buy that?_

He knew servants barley made enough for the basics, and sometimes not even that when you had a child, which Eliza did.

"That's a nice bassinet. Where did you get it?"

She looked at him. "I managed to make a deal with a merchant. Lucky thing too, because otherwise poor little Doug here wouldn't have had a place to sleep."

Wheatley wasn't sure if he believed her, but one thing he knew for sure she wasn't going to tell him right now.

...

The next morning, Wheatley awoke to the sound of chatter outside his room. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes. Pulling on his pants and shirt, he stepped outside the door. The voices seemed to be coming from the servants dining area. As he aproached the doorway, he started to notice the crowd of people.

"Oh, he's soooooo cute Eliza. How could someone abandon such a handsome little guy?"

That was Anna, the King's new personal servant.

"Chell, are you excited to be a big sister?"

Wheatley walked in just in time to see her shake her head and cross her arms.

Eliza chuckled softly. "She's not very happy right now. Doug kept her up most of the night, so she's a little cranky."

Anna made an sympathic look. "Aww poor girl. It'll take some getting used to, but I know you'll just grow to love him so much."

Chell didn't look like she agreed.

Daniel noticed Wheatley standing there. "Did you hear? Eliza found that little boy down past the market."

"Yeah, I heard him crying last night."

"Poor little man. He'll never know his real family. Although, I suppose it's better to be raised by Eliza rather then someone who never wanted you."

Wheatley had no argument on that. However, it was becoming obvious to him that everyone simply believed her.

_Honestly, it's possible I could be wrong. I've been so wrapped up in that mysterious door latley that maybe I'm just being overly suspicous. Eliza is right after all. What's important is that he's ok now._

He decided to put it in the back of his mind...and he had to admit, Doug was a cute little thing. Little cubby cheeks, light blue eyes, and a small tuft of dark hair on the top of his head. People were passing him around and cooing at how adorable they thought he was. Anna walked up to Wheatley and handed Doug to him. The baby fit into the crook of his arm perfectly.

"Aww. Look at that. Looks like someone was ment to be a daddy!" Anna grinned at him.

Wheatley blushed. Eliza laughed.

"And what exactly is so important that none of you are doing your jobs?"

At the sound of GLaDOS's voice, the crowd grew silent and looked at her. One by one they started to dispurse and get back to work, leaving only Anna, Wheatley, Doug and Eliza. Anna was the only one brave (or foolish) enough to speak.

"Eliza has a new baby."

GLaDOS looked at the maid. "Well, I was unaware you were even pregnant."

Before anyone could stop her, Anna spoke again. "She found him. He was abandoned, isn't that sad?" It was obvious she wasn't familar with the kind of person GLaDOS's was.

The Queen raised and eyebrow and returned her gaze to Eliza.

"You found him? So you just thought you'd bring him here like some kind of charity case? What made you think you I'd allow you to keep him?"

Eliza stood up and walked up to GLaDOS.

"You don't even have to come in contact with him. This boy needs a home and I sure as hell will give him one. I don't give a damn who you are or if you "allow" me to keep him or not!"

With that, the maid turned, took Doug from Wheatley's arms and headed back to her room. Wheatley and Anna stood in shock, neither one saying a word. The Queen looked absolutley pissed. With a last glance at Eliza's door, she turned and left the servants quarters.

...

The next several days were extremely tense. Every was afraid of angering GLaDOS even more than she already was. Wheatley was honestly wondering if Eliza and the two kids would even be around much longer. He had noticed, though, the Queen had been giving the maid extra work. So much so that she looked positively drained at the end of the day. He helped out with the kids as much as he could. She seemed to appreciate the aid.

Today, Wheatley more or less had the day off. GLaDOS was meeting with some advisers about the kingdom and would be in chambers all day. (Although she didn't forget to assign Eliza's extra chores.) He spent the day taking care of Chell and Doug. The girl still wasn't exactly thrilled with the new addition to her family, but she did enjoy helping with him.

"You need a good changing don't you little guy."

Wheatley began to clean up the baby. Suddenly, to his displeasure, he found himself being soaked as Doug chose that moment to pee. Chell made a face that suggested giggling. He looked at her.

"Oh, so you find this amusing do you?"

This caused the girl to double over in silent laughter. Shaking his head, but smiling nonetheless, he finished cleaning up both Doug and himself. Chell had the displeasure of taking the wet clothes to the laundry.

...

Soon nightfall came, and both kids were in bed. Wheatley looked around the room. It was a mess. Figuring Eliza had enough to do with all the work the Queen was giving her, he thought it would help her alot to clean up for her. He began to pick up Chell's toys. Carefully, he placed them in her wooden crate she used as a toybox. Looking over at the sleeping girl, he smiled a small smile. It was good she was managing to get some sleep. He knew it wouldn't be too long before her brother woke her up.

Wheatley then collected the dishes, returning them to the kitchen. Last thing left was a few bits of trash. Picking them all up, he threw them into the waste basket. Satisfied with his work, he walked up to the small couch and sat down. He looked around the room one last time just to make sure he didn't miss anything. At first he didn't see it, but the moonlight caught it just the right way from where he was sitting. A gold coin poking out from under Eliza's mattress. Curious, he got up and walked over to the bed. Looking at the door to make sure the maid wasn't coming, he lifted the mattress slightly. Wheatley's mouth dropped. Under there, he saw dozens if not hundreds of gold coins.

_What the hell? Where did she get this kind of money?_

He lowered the mattress, without disturbing anything. First the baby, then the money. What was going on? Had she robbed someone for money to provide for Doug? If so, was that the "deal" she made with some trader? or Did someone give her money to keep the baby? At this point, he didn't know what to think.

Eliza returned to the room a little while later. She looked absolutely miserable. As she walked in, she noticed the clean room. Smiling a weak smile, she turned to Wheatley.

"You cleaned up for me?"

He nodded. "I figured you could use a bit of help."

"Thank you. I really appreciate all your doing for me. I swear the Queen is going to work me to death."

Wheatley looked at her. "Why did you lash back at the Queen anyway?"

Eliza's eyes narrowed slightly. "Because it needed to be done. Would you rather have had me abandond Doug too?"

He shook his head. "No, no, no. I didn't mean it that way."

She just looked at him and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just so tired. As a matter of fact, I'm going to try to get some sleep before Doug wakes up."

He nodded. "Ok. If you need any help, I'm right next door."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He waved a farewell and left the room.

Unable to sleep, Wheatley went for a stroll around the castle again. He couldn't help but ponder about Eliza, the baby, and the money. As he reached the third floor, he almost missed it, but there it was. The light was back on. His thoughts suddenly shifting, Wheatley scurried to hide in a nearby storage room. Luck for him, the door wasn't locked. Cracking the door a bit, he could look right at the light. If anyone came out of there, he'd see them. Sitting in the floor, and adrenaline pumping through his veins, he waited.

_The world was building itself again. Wheatley could see the woman. She was wearing a white travel cloak with the hood up. He couldn't see her face, as her back was to him. He quickened his pace. He had to reach her. Suddenly, the man in the dark hood appeared. Wheatley tried to run even faster._

_"RUN! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

_The woman didn't seem to hear him. Before he could reach her, the hooded man put a knife into her chest. Wheatley screamed in horror as the woman fell to the ground and the man disappeared. If he could reach her, maybe he could save her. All he had to do was make it up that hill..._

Wheatley woke up to find himself in the floor of a storage room. It took him a few minutes to remember why he was there. Gasping, he looked toward the hidden door. Nothing. The light was gone.

...

**Hmmmm. Just where did all that money come from? **

**The dream is back. As well as that hidden door. Too bad Wheatley fell asleep before seeing the person leave the room.**

**In upcoming chapters, we're going to meet a new person, learn something big about Chell, and even see a ghost. ;) **

**I can't say for sure how soon each will show up. It really depends on how things flow.**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I know it's been a while, and I really don't have an excuse for why. Just haven't been up to writing I guess. **

...

Wheatley stood up and dusted himself off. His back and neck were sore from sleeping on the hard floor. He stepped out of the storage room. Looking out one of the windows, he noticed it was still dark. Knowing he missed his chance for the night, he decended the stairs to the first floor. He stopped briefly at Eliza's door. All was quiet. He walked into his room and crawled into bed.

...

Wheatley spent the next several days mentally kicking himself for falling asleep before catching a glance at the person in the room. He had been _so_ close to finding out who it was. Sighing to himself, he aproached the door to the Queen's chambers.

Wheatley gave GLaDOS a bow as he entered the room.

"What can I do for you, my Queen?"

She turned to face him. "Meet me in the back courtyard."

"As you wish." he bowed and left the room.

Ten minutes later Wheatley found himself standing in front of the Queen, holding a wooden pole. On each end of the pole, there was a groove carved into it with a bucket hanging from it. The buckets were filled to the top with water.

"Now you will walk along the castle walls. You are not to spill the water. Spilling it will result in you walking longer. Understood?"

Wheatley inwardly groaned, but outwordly he simply said, "I understand."

"Good. Now begin."

As Wheatley walked, the Queen was on her horse, following him. After about ten minutes, he was almost sure he'd collapse.

_I have to keep going, I don't want to be out here forever._

Gathering whatever strenght he had left, he managed to go for a total of 45 minutes before completely passing out.

...

The Queen had Wheatley repeat this process the next day, and to his horror, the following five days. To say he was worn out would be an understatment. Daniel had to help Eliza with the kids the entire week, as Wheatley couldn't even manage to get out of bed. Daniel would come over and bring Wheatley some food, drink, and company.

"Boy she's running you into the ground isn't she?"

Wheatley used all his strenght to sit up. "Yeah. I think she's mad about Doug."

"That wouldn't surprise me. What DOES surprise me is that Eliza and the kids are not out on the streets. I was almost sure she would kick her out this time."

Before Wheatley could ask what he ment by 'this time', they heard Doug crying next door.

"Well, got to go. Try to take it as easy as you can. I'll talk to you later."

Wheatley nodded. "Ok. Thanks for the meal."

"Anytime."

Luckily for Wheatley, GLaDOS gave him the next day off.

...

A few months had gone by, and Wheatley was getting the hang of his daily walk around the castle. The buckets didn't seem so heavy anymore, and he mananged to spill little to no water. That was quite a feat considering the fact that GLaDOS had added another bucket on each side about a month and a half ago.

Wheatley had become quite built, his muscles being quite noticeable without any effort. When he would go into town, he noticed alot of the young women would wave at him, and giggle. Chell seemed to do the same.

Although she didn't wave or giggle, there were times when Wheatley swore the Queen was eyeing him just like the young townswomen did.

Today was Wheatley's birthday, and the castle servents were doing their best to decorate the servant dining quaters. (GLaDOS didn't seem to care, much to everyone's relief.) Daniel was making a cake, and Eliza and Chell were out buying gifts.

"Everything looks great." Wheatley said, a genuine smile on his face.

Daniel joined in the smile. "It's not fancy, but we're glad you like it."

Once Chell and Eliza returned, and the presents were put up on a table in the corner, everyone got back to work and agree to meet back at the dining quaters later that night. Chell was put on "present duty" to ensure Wheatley didn't cheat and open one early, a job she took very seriously as she had sat herself in a chair in front of the table and crossed her arms. Wheatley silently chuckled. She was definately one determined little girl.

...

Wheatley spent his day doing his usual walk with GLaDOS, and thinking about what his birthday presents might be. He didn't really ask for anything, so he had no idea what they could have gotten him.

He was anxious for night to fall.

After his walk, Wheatley decided to check the door on the third floor. Nothing. It had been like this for months now. Decending the stairs, he noticed a man being escorted to the servants quaters. The man was tall and thin, with black hair. Wheatley could have sworn he saw red eyes. Wanting to know who this mysterious guy was, Wheatley walked into the servent's wing and followed.

"Here you go Mr. Vincent. This will be your room." the guard said, indicating the old gardener's room.

"Thank you." Vincent's voice was deep, but quiet.

_His eyes really ARE red!_

Vincent entered his room and shut the door.

...

Night had fallen and the entire servent's wing was celebrating Wheatley's birthday. Vincent stood in the back of the room and simply watched. Honestly, it made Wheatley uneasy. Trying to push the feeling away, he turned to his gifts. Chell was holding one out and hoping up and down.

"She picked this one." Eliza explained.

Smiling, Wheatley opened the present. It was a puppet. It had blonde hair, and blue eyes and looked very much like a jester. Smiling he gave Chell a hug.

"Thank you, Chell. This will come in handy."

Chell seemed pleased that he liked his gift.

Wheatley spent the rest of the evening opening presents and talking to everyone. Most of his presents were clothes, including a brand new jester uniform.

...

After the party, everyone went to thier respective rooms, some saying their last "Happy Birthday"s. Giving his thanks, Wheatley walked into his room. His bed seemed to be calling for him to climb in. Answering the call, he made his way to his bed, discovering something wrapped in a nice cloth on his pillow. Wheatley unwrapped it.

It was an empty journal, a bottle of ink, and a quill.

_This will be good for writing down any information I have about that door, Eliza and the baby, and for that reocurring dream I keep having._

Picking up the journal, Wheatley noticed a small note in GLaDOS's handwritting.

_"Happy Birthday."_

...

**Awww A nice sweet ending to this one, don'tcha think?**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Finally an update. I haven't forgotten about you guys, I promise.**

...

Wheatley didn't know what to think.

_"The Queen got me a gift?"_

It didn't make much sense to him. As far as he knew, she had never gotten any of the servents a gift before. So why now? And why him?

_"I have so much to write about."_

Placing the journal on the table beside him, Wheatley crawled into bed and went to sleep.

...

The next morning, Wheatley spent his free time writing in his new journal. He wrote about everything from the mysterious door, to the baby, to...well, everything. He had to admit, it helped clear his head a little to write it all down.

When Wheatley wasn't writing, he was either entertaining GLaDOS, or helping Eliza with the kids. He noticed that Vincent seemed to eye Chell a lot, which made Wheatley uneasy.

_"A grown man should not eye a young child like that." _He thought.

Wheatley made a note (in his mind AND his journal) to keep an eye on Vincent and to never allow him to be alone with Chell.

...

Night fell, and Wheatley helped Eliza get the kids to bed. Giving Chell a kiss on her forhead, he wished her a good night. She smiled at him and gave him a big hug, which made Wheatley smile back.

After the kids were safely in bed, Eliza walked up to Wheatley.

"Thank you so much for all the help. If it wasn't for you and Daniel, I don't think I'd make it through the day." she laughed.

Wheatley suddenly remember something Daniel had said.

"_**I was almost sure she would kick her out this time."**_

"Eliza, can I ask you something?"

"Well I suppose so." She laughed. "What's on your mind?"

Wheatley took a breath. "Daniel and I were talking a while back, and he said something that caught my attention."

"Ok."

"Well, you see, we were talking about the Queen being upset about Doug, and Daniel said he was surprised she didn't kick you out this time. What did he mean by _this_ time?"

Eliza just looked at Wheatley. "Let's just say I've pissed off the Queen once before."

Wheatley was confused, but sensed that she wasn't willing to talk about it. He then wished her a good night, and went on another stroll around the castle.

He had began to memorize the guards routes and shifts. Nothing really useful to him, but he guessed that kind of happens when you go walking at night as much as he did. He took the same route most nights, occasionally changing things up. And every time upon reaching the third floor, Wheatley looked for the light.

Nothing.

Again.

It had been this way for months and he wondered if the person was even using the room anymore. He doubted it, but checked all the same. Who knows, maybe one day he'd figure out what was behind it.

Retracing his steps, he turned back around and headed back the way he came. Ever since the night he heard the King and Queen fighting, he had not dared to go to the fourth floor.

Upon reaching the first floor, he came across Vincent in the corridor. Wheatley hoped to avoid him.

"Hello, Jester."

_Damn it._

"Hello."

Vincent gave a small smile. "What brings you out this evening?" He placed his hands in the pockets of his coat.

"I could ask the same of you."

"Touche, but I asked first."

"Out for a walk. Your turn."

"Going out to the courtyard to make plans to re-due the garden."

"Well you have fun with that."

Vincent eyed Wheatley. "You distrust me."

_Is it that noticeable? _Wheatley thought.

"I'll take your silence as a yes."

"Do _you_ ever trust a complete stranger you just met?"

Vincent smiled. "I'll talk to you some other time, Wheatley was it?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Untill next time." Vincent walked towards the front doors of the castle.

_Just talking to him makes my skin crawl. _Wheatly thought. _There is definately something off about him._

Trying to shake off the uneasy feeling he had, he decided to head to the back courtyard.

...

The night sky was so clear back here. It was harder to see in the front courtyard with all the street lamps and whatnot, but out in the back, it was the most beautiful shade of midnight black, with a hint of deep purple, speckled with white sparks. It reminded Wheatley of his home villiage sometimes, and on days when he missed it, he'd come out here to think.

And Wheatley had so much to think about. So many questions, and so few anwers.

What was behind that door? Who was going in there? Why is it hidden?

And what's going on with Eliza? Where did Doug _REALLY_ come from? Where did she get all that money? And what happened when she pissed off the Queen the first time?

Who was this Vincent guy? And why did he eye Chell so much?

What was with his reoccuring dream? What did it mean? Did it even mean anything at all?

He wondered if he'd ever figure any of it out. Some things he knew he should stay out of, but he just couldn't help it. It bugged him not knowing. It worried him not knowing.

_Epecially when it comes to Eliza and the kids. They have become like a second family to me. I'd be devastated if anything happened to them._

Sometimes he wondered if he was supposed to know. Maybe it just wasn't his fate. Honestly, he didn't even know what made him think he even deserved to know. He was just a jester. He wasn't someone special, or important.

_But the Queen thought I was important enough to give a present to._

That was another thing he couldn't figure out. What made her do that? He did appreciate it, but it just didn't make sense to him. She never showed any sign of caring for _any_ of the servents. Did something change?

Suddenly a voice broke him from his trance.

"Lovely isn't it."

Startled, Wheatley turned around to see the Princess standing behind him.

"Oh, Hello Princess. I didn't know you were visiting the castle."

She gave a small smile. "People usually don't."

He couldn't help but ask. "Why is that?"

She merley looked up at the sky. "It's just the way things are."

He wasn't sure what she ment by that, but she seemed almost sad.

"If you don't mind me asking, What is the reason for your visit?"

The Princess looked at him. "You really ask too many questions."

Wheatley bowed. "I'm sorry your Highness. I did not mean to intrude."

"You are forgiven."

Wheatley stood. He did have one more question for her.

"Forgive me again, Princess, but I've never caught your name."

She turned to look at him.

"Caroline."

With that she turned around and walked back toward the castle.

Wheatley watched her disappear past the door. There was yet another thing he wondered about.

When did the Princess get here? Why doesn't anyone ever know she's here?

All this wondering was making Wheatley's head hurt. He decided to head back to his room.

...

Entering his room, Wheatley sat down on his bed. He looked over at his journal on the table next to him.

_I'll probably write in the morning._

With that, Wheatley turned himself in for the night.

...

A lone letter sits on a desk. A man smoking a cigar takes it in his hands. He reads and re-reads the letter 3 times. He knows this won't be easy, but it's quite the payment. He gets up from his seat and begins to get the necessary equipment for the job. He smiles at the idea of all that gold.

_"...Remember, you must maintain the upmost discretion."_

That's what the letter had said. The man grabs his gear, and heads off to make his fortune.

...

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Another update. (And it didn't take forever LOL)**

...

The next morning, Wheatley got out his journal and wrote about both conversations he had the night before. One left him uneasy, while the other left him curious. (He had quickly become quite fond of writing.)

There was a knock at the door, and Wheatley got up to answer it.

It was Eliza.

"Mornin' Wheatley. Sleep well?"

Wheatley nodded.

"Good. Good."

Wheatley stared at her. "What is it?"

"Well...this morning I heard you talked to the Princess last night."

He nodded.

"I was just reminding you not to..."

"...not to mention her to anyone. She wants her privacy. I know Eliza. We go through this every time she's here. I just don't understand why she doesn't want people to know she's here. Most people don't even realize she exists."

Eliza nodded. "That's the way she wants it. So remember, not a word."

Wheatley nodded. "I know. I won't say anything."

"Good." Eliza smiled. "Well, I've got to get back to my duties. I'll talk to you later." And with that, she left his room.

_Still don't get why the Princess likes to be so seclusive._

...

A few minutes later, Wheatley was outside, doing his daily routine with the Queen. Today, she had exchanged his wooden pole for a metal one, and added a third bucket of water on each side. Needless to say, this made him struggle quite a bit, almost as much as day one.

"Lift it higher. I don't want you to spill a drop of that water."

He did as she asked and tried to lift the water higher.

"Above your head."

He strained and struggled to lift it. One of the buckets fell and splashed the Queen's horse, causing him to throw the Queen off. Without hesitating, Wheatley dropped the pole and buckets and ran to the Queen's side.

"I'm so sorry my Queen. I didn't..."

She raised a hand to silence him. He got quiet. By the look on her face, she seemed to be trying to hide how much pain she was in. The guards helped her up, and escorted her to the medical wing. Wheatley was then escorted to the holding cells in the dungeon until further notice.

...

It seemed like hours had gone by, and Wheatley was still locked inside this tiny room. No mattress, no windows, nothing but a small bit of torch light coming from down the hall. He felt so miserable. He didn't mean for the Queen to get hurt. He was just trying to do as she asked.

He slumped down onto the dirty dungon floor.

_I'll probably die down here._

A few minutes later, Wheatley could hear someone coming. Straining to see, he tried to get a good view. The guards had entered, escorting a young man to one of the holding cells, specifically, the one right across from Wheatley's.

Once the guards left, the man spoke to him.

"So, what did you do to get down here?"

Wheatley didn't like the look of this guy, so he said nothing.

"Oh, I see. A spy from another kingdom. I tell ya. They will have a blast torturing you for information." The man laughed.

"I'm not a spy from a different kindom. I'm the Queen's jester."

This made the man's eyes grow big. "You work with the head bitch herself? No wonder your down here." The man laughed again.

Wheatley wasn't sure why, but the fact that he insulted the Queen pissed him off.

The man sat on the floor next to the cell door. "Your probably gonna die ya know?"

Wheatley's heart sank. The man was probably right.

"Could be worse though. She could torture you. Oh, wait. She probably will." The man started laughing again.

"Do you have _anything_ better to talk about than my inpending death?"

The man continued to laugh.

Wheatley just sighed.

"You know, it wouldn't surprise me."

Wheatley knew he should just ignore him, but what the hell. He was going to die right? So what's the harm.

"What wouldn't surprise you?"

"If the rumors were true."

Wheatley looked confused. "What rumours?"

The man looked at him. "I guess you guys are "protected" from them living in here." He laughed. "Rumor has it, the King isn't so faithful to his beloved Queen. Heard he'd slept with several dozen women while visiting other kingdoms just this year. But when you have a heartless shrew to come home to, who can blame him." He laughed again.

"You do realize the Queen has feelings don't you?" Wheatley said angrily. He wasn't sure where the anger was coming from, but all he knew was that his guy was a complete asshole.

The man laughed. "Judging by your accent, and the fact your trying to defend her tells me your fairly new here."

Just as the man finished his sentence, the guards had come down the stairs. Two of them approached Wheatley's cell. The taller one unlocked the door. "Let's go, Jester. The Queen requires your presence."

He got up off the floor and followed the guards down the corridor.

"Hope you had a nice life, cuz it's about to end."

He could hear the man's laughter even as they reached the door.

...

Wheatley found himself being escorted to the Queen's chambers.

_She's going to torture and kill me here?_ He thought.

After the guards pushed him into the room, they shut the door behind them, leaving only Wheatley and GLaDOS.

He stood there and looked at his feet.

"Come here."

He obeyed.

"On your knees."

He complied, never taking his eyes off the floor.

"I would like to appologize to you, Jester."

Wheatley wasn't sure he heard right.

"I know the only reason I fell was because you were doing exactly what I asked. I cannot fault you for that."

Wheatley looked up, shock written all over his face. The Queen smiled. "You may stand."

He did so.

"It seems that I have broken my right wrist. Therefore I need someone to do all my writing and other such things. I have chosen you for that."

"You have, my Queen?"

"Indeed I have. Is there a problem?"

Wheatley knew that doing this for her ment he wouldn't have as much time to help Eliza with the kids, but he knew better than to refuse the Queen.

"No, of course not, my Queen."

"You may return to your room."

With a bow, Wheatley left GLaDOS's chambers and returned to the servents quaters.

...

Everyone seemed shocked to hear that the Queen had actually apologized to someone. That was unheard of.

"So...she said it was her fault?" Daniel asked.

"I guess so. She just said she couldn't fault me for doing what she asked."

Eliza's eyes were big. "I've never know her to do that in all my years of working here. How did you do it?"

Wheatley shrugged his shoulders. "Hell if I know."

Daniel shook his head. "We all thought you'd be in the cells forever, if you'd even come out at all."

"Guess I'm lucky."

"Your more than lucky, Wheatley." Daniel got up. "Well, I have to go help finish dinner, and congratulations on the victory."

Wheatley just laughed as Daniel returned to the kitchen.

"Maybe the time really is coming..." Eliza muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Wheatley asked, not hearing her clearly.

Eliza shook her head. "Oh, nothing. Just still in shock over the Queen's apology.

"I know I can't believe it either." Wheatley paused. "Eliza, there's something else."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see, the Queen's right wrist is broken and she has appointed me to do all her writing for her. Which means I won't be able to help as much with Chell and Doug." He hung his head. "I'm sorry. I hate to do that to you, but how do you refuse the Queen?"

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's ok. I understand. Daniel is a big help already, and if things get too bad, I'll ask Vincent. He seems to like the kids."

Wheatley's head sprung up and his eyes got big. "Eliza, I don't think that's a good idea."

She looked confused. "Why not?"

"Well..." he hesitated. "Vincent seems a little _TOO_ interested in Chell, if you know what I mean. I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone with her."

She shook her head. "Wheatley, I know you think of me and the kids as family, and we love you for that, but you don't have to worry so much." She kissed the top of his head. "Now I have to finish a few things before the nights over. I'll see you later."

Wheatley nodded. "See you later, Eliza."

"And try not to worry so much? Ok?" She smiled.

He smiled back. "I'll try."

...

**Yay, Chapter Eight complete! Hope those of you reading are enjoying this story. :)**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry if the last Chapter was a little on the slow side, but some changes are happening and I needed that Chapter to be a transition one.**

**The dream re-appears, and a mystery gets a little deeper.**

...

_She was just up on the hill. He knew he could reach her this time. He HAD to, otherwise the cloaked man would kill her. He couldn't let her die. She meant too much to him._

_Running he put ever ounce of strength he had to reach her. Suddenly the cloaked man appeared and Wheatley yelled out._

_LEAVE HER ALONE! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO DIE!_

_The man simply pulled out his blade and thrust it into the woman's heart. She fell back as the man disappeared._

_NOOOOOOOO!_

"Wheatley! Wheatley, wake up!"

He shot up in his bed, breathing hard. Sweat was running down his body. He looked over and saw Eliza and Chell, concern written all over their faces.

"Wheatley, what happened? You were screaming quite loudly, we heard you in our room."

He rubbed his face.

_The dream has never been that intense before._

Eliza sat down on the end of his bed. "You were screaming 'She doesn't deserve to die.' over and over again."

He rubbed his face again. "Yeah, hell of a dream."

"Sounds more like a nightmare."

Chell nodded in agreement.

"I didn't mean to worry you, really. I didn't even realize I was screaming in my sleep."

Chell climbed on his bed and hugged his arm. She seemed worried.

Wheatley smiled. "I'm fine. I promise. Just a bad dream." He kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry for being curious, but who was dying in your dream?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I still haven't figured it out."

Eliza cocked an eyebrow. "Still? You mean you've had this dream before?"

He nodded.

"How many times have you had it?"

Wheatley shrugged. "I lost count a while ago."

She just looked at him. "You know, they say that if you have the same dream a lot, then it's likely to happen. Now, I don't know if that's true or not, but I sure hope it isn't."

Chell nodded in agreement.

"Well, we have to go, and I'm sure you need to get ready for your first day of scribe duty. Let's go, Chell."

Chell climbed down off of Wheatley's bed and followed her mother.

...

Wheatley got dressed and joined the other servants in the dining area. He wondered how often he would get to spend with them now. Suddenly the King's booming voice filled the air.

"Ah, home sweet home. GLaDOS, my darling, you look as beautiful as ever!"

Wheatley got up and walked toward the throne room. He wondered what the King was going to say when he noticed the Queen's bandages. As he looked around the corner he could see them.

"Thank you, Dear. How was your trip?"

"Lovely, but not as lovely as you." He place a small kiss on her cheek.

The Queen smiled. The King looked at her wrist.

"GLaDOS, my dear, what happened?"

"Riding accident. The horse got spooked and it threw me off. The physician says I'll be fine."

The King kissed the side of her head, on her temple. "I'm glad to hear that. Well, I better freshen up before breakfast. I'll see you in the Dining Hall, my dear." and with that he left the room.

Wheatley was relieved. He was afraid the Queen would tell him it was his fault.

_**"Rumor has it, the King isn't so faithful to his beloved Queen. Heard he'd slept with several dozen women while visiting other kingdoms just this year..."**_

The words of the man in the dungeon rang in his head. Wheatley wondered how true it was. He knew the King was gone a lot, but he always seemed to be happy to see his wife.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he returned to the servants dining area.

...

A few minutes after breakfast, Wheatley now sat in the Queen's chambers, writing everything she was saying. She was talking so fast, he barley managed to keep up. At the worst part was, the Queen had informed him that when she was done, he would have to re-write it 15 times more, for each of the kingdoms Aperture was allied with. After an hour of talking, the Queen left him to his work.

It was quiet being the only one in her chambers. Wheatley could hear every stroke the quill made on the parchment. With each word he wrote, he realized how lonely this new job was going to make him. He started thinking about Eliza and the kids, Daniel, and then his thoughts wandered to Vincent. God, he hated the idea of Chell being alone with him. He knew he had promised Eliza he wouldn't worry too much, but it was hard. There was something off about Vincent, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

After a few hours, Wheatley had almost half of the letters done, when the Queen returned to the chambers. She came over to the desk and looked at his work.

"Not quite as far as I'd like you to be."

Wheatley sighed to himself.

The Queen then walked across the room over to a cabinet and removed a book from it. Books were rare, and Wheatley had only seen one in his entire life. The Queen then walked to her chair and sat down. Opening the book she began to read.

Wheatley continued his work, but found it increasingly hard. He found himself watching her. He noticed the way the sun showed the faint traces of gold in her hair and made her golden eyes almost sparkle. She even seemed to almost emit her own faint light.

_She truly looks like something out of heaven._ Wheatley thought, a small smile on his face.

It didn't take the Queen long to notice his gaze on her.

"Seeing as how I've only been back for a short time, I am quite certain you have not completed your duties."

He looked straight down at the desk, trying his hardest not to blush. Although he didn't see it, the Queen let a small smile creep onto her face.

For the remainder of the day, Wheatley tried his best not to look up from the desk. He couldn't believe he'd been staring at her. Of course, he thought she was beautiful, a lot of people did, but he'd never quite noticed exactly how beautiful she really was.

Finally, by the end of the day, he finally got done with all the letters. He had written so much, his fingers and wrist hurt. The Queen walked over and leaned over his right shoulder to inspect his handiwork. Wheatley couldn't help but notice the faint scent of roses that she wore.

_She even smells beautiful. _He thought, before mentally slapping himself. _Oh, God, I have to stop that._

Once the Queen was done inspecting his work, she stood up.

"Quite satisfactory."

Wheatley smiled. "Thank you, my Queen."

"You may return to your room. I shall see you in the morning."

He gave her a bow and exited her chambers.

...

Wheatley walked the halls rubbing his wrist. Although he wasn't sure exactly how much writing the Queen normally did, he expected he was going to be quite busy and his wrist quite sore.

One thing he hadn't expected though, was his reaction to the Queen herself.

_She must have thought me foolish for staring at her like that._

He continued down the halls. The sudden roar in his stomach made him realize how hungry he was.

_I haven't eaten anything since breakfast._

He decided he would head to the kitchen first and ask Daniel what he had. Upon reaching the kitchen, he knocked on the door. Daniel opened it.

"Oh, hey Wheatley. Get done with your scribe work?"

Wheatley nodded. "Yes. I'm quite hungry though."

Daniel laughed. "Well give me a minute and I'll bring you a plate of something."

Wheatley smiled. "Thanks, Daniel."

"Anytime." And with that the cook disappeared into the kitchen.

For Wheatley, it seemed like an eternity before Daniel emerged from the kitchen. (In reality, it had only been about ten minutes.) The plate of food looked tasty and he couldn't wait to eat. The cook had even gotten him a glass of tea.

"Everything looks so good, Daniel."

"Thank you." Daniel said with a smile.

Wheatley walked to the servant's dining area and began to eat. He didn't think he'd ever felt more hungry in his life. After he finished his meal, he returned his dishes to the kitchen.

He returned to his room. It was then that the exhaustion hit him.

_Who knew writing all day could make you so tired._

He crawled into bed early.

...

Wheatley woke to the sudden sound of thunder. Looking out his window, he could see it was still the middle of the night. He groaned as he put his pillow over his ears. After a few minutes, and a few more shots of thunder, he realized it wasn't going to work. He decided to get up and talk a walk around until the storm calmed down. He walked out of his room, and tried to decide where to go.

_Maybe I'll check the third floor again. _

He shrugged. It sounded as good as anything right now. He began to walk down the halls and make his way to the third floor. He started thinking about all the things he'd been writing about in his journal again. He started up the stairs to the third floor. Just as he reached the top, he noticed the light go out.

_The room IS still being used!_

He quickly darted to the shadows and waited.

Nothing.

Nobody came out.

_Do they somehow know I'm here?_

After a few minutes, Wheatley saw the door slowly come open.

Wheatley covered his mouth to suppress a gasp.

_What's the King doing in there?_

He watched as the King slowly closed the door and silently walked to the staircase that lead to the fourth floor. Once Wheatley was sure he wouldn't get caught, he slowly approached the door the King had just left. He slid his hands over the wall until he found the crevice. It didn't budge. He tried again. Nothing.

Not knowing what else to do, he quickly made his way back down to the first floor. He just had to write this in his journal.

...

**Well, seems like the King is up to something. What could it be? I would love to hear your thoughts. :)**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Chapter Ten is here.**

...

Wheatley spent the next several days thinking about the King and the room. He had found out who was using it, but he still didn't know what exactly was behind that door. Everyone could tell he had been preoccupied lately, but nobody questioned him about it. Wheatley was grateful. He didn't know what, if anything, he should tell them.

On the other hand, Scribe duty was going fairly well. His fingers and wrist still hurt by the end of the night, but not as bad as they had the first time. He also made sure to take extra care not to stare at GLaDOS.

Today, Wheatley knew the preparations for the King's birthday were starting and he was in charge of writing all of the invitations. The sooner they got written, the sooner they could be mailed out, and the sooner the guests could start making plans to come. He got up, stretched, and headed to the Servant's Dining Area for breakfast. Chell suddenly ran up to him and gave him a hug. He smiled.

"Good Morning. How's my favorite little girl?"

She gave him a big smile.

"Glad to hear." He looked at her with a smile of his own. Eliza chuckled.

"So, how many guests are we having for the King's birthday this year?" she asked, as Daniel entered the room with their food.

Wheatley groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. "Five hundred and seventy five. And I have to write all of the invitations."

Daniel shook his head. "I'll have some ice ready for you in your room tonight."

Wheatley laughed. "Thanks. I'm probably going to need that."

Daniel placed the food on the table. "Well, I'm off."

Eliza gave him a slightly confused look. "Your not eating with us, today?"

Daniel shook his head. "I have to go to town and get quite a few things in preparation for the King's birthday. I'll be gone the majority of the day."

"Oh, I see."

Daniel took off his apron and draped it over his arm. "Well, I'll see you all later tonight. Good luck today, Wheatley."

Wheatley smiled. "Thanks, Daniel."

Daniel smiled, turned, and left the room.

...

After he finished his breakfast, Wheatley got up to go to GLaDOS's chambers. As he was walking, he heard Eliza's voice behind him.

"Vincent, may I have a word with you for a moment?"

Wheatley stopped walking.

"Of course, Eliza, what can I do for you?"

"Well, you see, since Daniel's going to be in town all day, I really need someone to help me watch the kids. Would you mind helping me if you're not too busy?"

Wheatley turned around.

"Not at all. I'm mostly trimming things up in the front garden at the moment anyway, and I'm still waiting for the delivery of plants for the King's birthday to arrive."

Wheatley watched as Vincent placed his hand on Chell's shoulder.

"We'll have a lot of fun, won't we Chell?" He smiled down at the girl.

She looked back up at him with a big smile on her face and nodded.

Eliza laughed, leaning down to come face to face with her. "Ok, I'll see you later." She placed a kiss on her forehead. "Be good for Mr. Vincent."

Chell nodded her head. Eliza handed Doug over to Vincent.

"And do please keep a very close eye on Doug. He's learning to crawl and there no telling where he might end up. That little one is quite good at hiding."

Vincent laughed as he held the little boy in his arms. "I will, Eliza."

"Good. Thank you, Vincent. You don't know how much of a life saver you are."

"Anytime."

Eliza smiled and turned to attend to her duties. Vincent took Chell's hand and the three of them headed outside to the garden.

Wheatley felt his stomach drop. He had hope Eliza wouldn't have to resort to leaving the kids alone with him, especially Chell.

_I have to make this day go by as fast as possible._

He turned back around and hurried up the stairs.

...

Upon entering GLaDOS's chambers, Wheatley noticed her sitting at her chair, reading one of her books. He also noticed his usual desk had been replaced with a quite larger table. It looked like it barley fit in the room. Eleven large piles of unwritten invitations were stacked on it. He sighed to himself.

_This is going to take me all week._

He sat down in his chair. As he dipped the quill in the ink, GLaDOS rose from her chair and approached him.

"Remember do not stack them right away. The ink takes a bit longer to dry on this kind of parchment."

He nodded. "Yes, my Queen."

Returning to her chair, she picked up her book and continued to read. Wheatley removed the quill from the ink and began writing out the first invitation. When that one was done, he placed it in the corner of the table to dry.

_Only 574 left to go._

An few hours went by and Wheatley was trying to write quickly, but also as neat as possible. He was certain GLaDOS would make him rewrite any invitation that didn't pass her inspection. However, working this way was having a downside. His wrist and fingers were getting tired and sore faster than usual.

The entire time, Wheatley wondered if Chell and Doug were ok.

_If he hurts them I swear..._

What exactly he was going to do, Wheatley didn't know, but he was damn sure going to do something. He didn't have any children of his own, so Chell and Doug had become his surrogate children in a way.

Being careful not to overlap the invitations, they table was getting quite full. There was only space for a few more.

"My Queen, is it safe to stack any of these now? I'm in need of more room."

GLaDOS rose from her chair, picked up the candle off her table and walked over to him. Shining candlelight on the invitations, she carefully looked them over.

"You can stack the ones in the first three rows."

He nodded. "Thank you, my Queen."

She gave him a slight nod and returned to her chair, placing the candle back on the table beside her. Wheatley began to stack the first three rows of invitations. Once he was done, he began to move the others down the table in their place.

_This gives me a lot more room_. He thought, as he continued his work.

Wheatley noticed GLaDOS rise from her chair. She placed her book down on her table, and entered a door to another part of her chamber. He briefly wondered where she was going, but shifted his focus back on his work. He finished the invitation he had been working on, and placed it down to dry. He reached over to grab another one when he noticed he was almost done with one stack.

_Alright! Almost one down..._

His victory was short lived as his eyes looked over at the other stacks.

_...and only ten more to go_. He sighed.

Dipping the quill in the ink, Wheatley began to write. About halfway through, the quill stops writing. He dips it in the ink again. It only gets through one word. Looking into the bottle, he discovers it's empty.

_Is there another bottle?_

Nope. It's the only one he has.

_I'll have to ask the Queen for another._

Rising from his chair, he makes his way to the door GLaDOS entered moments before. Upon reaching the door, he notices it's not completely shut. He raises his hand to knock only to stop himself. Right there before him, GLaDOS stood behind a waist high changing curtain, bare back facing him. The sunlight glistened through the windows, showing the glittering gold in her hair and illuminating her pale milky white skin.

_She's so beautiful._

Wheatley swallowed a lump in his throat. He found himself staring for a moment, wondering what it would be like to caress her body, to feel her soft skin.

_As if she'd ever let you_. Came a voice in his head.

He sighed, backed up a bit from the door, and carefully knocked.

"What is it?"

Wheatley swallowed again. "My Queen, I need more ink. The bottle I have has run dry."

"Give me one moment."

"Yes, my Queen." He walked across the room and returned to his chair.

A moment later, GLaDOS emerged from the room, holding an ink bottle and wearing a silk lavender dress. It came off her shoulders and showed her cleavage quite nicely, (at least in Wheatley's opinion). She handed him the ink. When she did, he felt the skin on her hands for a brief moment.

_Her skin is even softer than I imagined it would be._

"There you are."

He nodded. "Thank you, my Queen." He hesitated for a moment. "That is quite a beautiful dress."

If he didn't know better, he would have swore he saw GLaDOS blush just the tinniest bit.

She smiled. "Thank you. It's for the King's birthday."

Wheatley smiled. "I'm sure he'll love it."

She smiled again, then turned around and returned to the other room.

_Her smile is beautiful too._

Shaking his head to regain focus, he opened the new bottle of ink, and continued his work.

...

By the end of the day, Wheatley had finished just a little over a stack of invitations. His wrist and fingers were screaming at him. He couldn't wait to get that ice from Daniel. Putting the lid on the ink bottle he rose from his chair.

"I'm quite satisfied with your work today."

Wheatley beamed. "Thank you, my Queen."

GLaDOS smiled as she rose from her own chair. "Well, it is quite late. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

He bowed. "Of course. You have a good night, my Queen."

"You have a good night as well, Wheatley."

...

On the walk back to his room, he kept thinking about GLaDOS. How soft her skin really was. How beautiful she was. She even called him Wheatley instead of Jester. If only he wasn't just some lowly servant and well, of course, if she wasn't married.

_Even then it would probably never happen._

The voice was right. Wheatley most likely would never have a shot at her, even if things were different.

It was late so most people had already turned in for the night.

_So much for spending some time with everyone._ He sighed.

As he rounded the corner toward his room, Wheatley noticed a faint blue light coming from Eliza's room.

_What in the world?_

Walking up to the door quietly, he put his ear to it to see if he could hear anything. He couldn't hear anything, but silence. Careful not to disturb anyone, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside. The next thing Wheatley saw caused him to stare in shock.

...

Smoking his cigar, the man sits in the back of a wagon full of hay that is parked on the side of the road.. He's waiting for the driver to continue on. He keeps his gear close by his side and takes another drag off his cigar as the driver returns to the wagon It cost the man a bit of gold to get this driver to agree to a passenger, but he doesn't care. Once he's completed the job, he'll have more than enough to make up for it, He could very simply kill the man and take his money back once he reaches his destination, but he doesn't need the extra complications. The only thing the man needs right now is to reach Aperture Kingdom.

...

**Oooooo. What could Wheatley have seen? :D**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Chapter Eleven. I'm sorry I left you guys on a cliffhanger last time. Well, sort of sorry. :P**

...

_Walking up to the door quietly, he put his ear to it to see if he could hear anything. He couldn't hear anything, but silence. Careful not to disturb anyone, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside. The next thing Wheatley saw caused him to stare in shock. _

Wheatley couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sitting in the floor, in the corner of the room, was Chell. There was a glowing blue orb floating just an inch or so above her palms.

_How is that possible?_

Wheatley watched as Chell manipulated the orb, moving it around and altering it's size, ranging from the size of a small pincushion to the size of an orange. Judging by the smile on her face, she was quite proud of herself. Suddenly the orb disappeared and Chell's eyes come in direct contact with Wheatley's.

_Uh oh._

The little girl quickly got to her feet and ran towards him. Pushing him into the hallway, she shut the door behind her. He crouched down to eye level with her. She placed both her hands over his mouth, as if to tell him not to say a word. Understand what she was asking, Wheatley nodded. Chell removed her hands.

"Who taught you to do that?" he asked, his voice barley above a whisper.

Chell pointed behind him. Turning to look, Wheatley realized she was pointing to Vincent's bedroom door. He looked back at the girl.

"Vincent?"

She nodded. He looked back at the door.

_Is that why he seemed so interested in her?_

Suddenly the sound of distant footsteps filled the air, and Wheatley knew it was one of the night guards making his rounds. He returned his eyes to Chell.

"You better get back to bed before that guard catches you out here."

Chell nodded in agreement. Turning around she opened her door and slipped back into her room. Standing up, Wheatley retreated to his own room.

Once inside, he pulled out his journal and began to write.

_I need to speak to Vincent as soon as I can._

...

Sleeping was proving to be difficult. What happened with Chell kept replaying over and over in his mind and with it, came questions.

_Was that really magic? How long has this been going on? How did Vincent even know she would be able to do it in the first place? Does anybody else know about this?_

As far as the first question went, Wheatley had always thought magic was simply a myth. He remembered horror stories of wicked witches tormenting innocent people and spiriting away sleeping children straight from their beds. Those stories had scared him a lot as a child, and for a long time, he had a hard time sleeping at night. Though, as he got older, he assumed the stories were simply that. Stories.

For the second question, He was certain this hadn't been going on too long, as Vincent hadn't been working at the castle until recently. But how soon after he got here did he start teaching her?

He had no idea how to answer the last two question.

But if Chell could do magic, wouldn't she have to be evil? The witches in the stories were always evil.

Wheatley shook his head. No. He was sure she was a good person.

_So, does that mean good people can do magic too?_

Then another thought crossed his mind.

_Or Vincent is evil, and he's trying to make her evil too._

He wondered if that's why he always felt uneasy around him. The thought scared him and made him worry about talking to Vincent alone. If he was evil, what would stop him from killing Wheatley for discovering his secret? Was it possible to have someone come with him?

_I could bring Chell. _

He quickly dismissed that option.

_But what if he decides to kill her once she knows he's trying to make her evil. I can't let that happen._

But if not Chell then who? After some thought Wheatley realized anyone he brought could be in danger. He had to do this alone. He wasn't sure he was looking forward to that conversation.

...

The next morning, Wheatley had to drag himself out of bed. He felt like he hadn't slept all night, and in a way he hadn't. What time he was asleep, he tossed and turned so much he might as well have been awake. He scooted around a bit like a zombie towards the dining area.

"Are you alright, Wheatley?"

He looked up to see Eliza staring at him. Chell was standing behind her, looking a bit worried. He wasn't sure if she was worried about him, or worried that he might not keep her secret.

"I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well." He plopped down in his seat.

A plate of eggs, bacon, and toast was placed in front of him.

He muttered a quick "Thanks, Daniel."

As Wheatley ate his breakfast, he kept looking over at Chell. Usually she's the life of the party, so to speak, but this morning she seemed a bit reserved.

"Good Morning, Everyone."

Wheatley inwardly flinched at the sound of Vincent's voice. There were several 'Good Morning's' that filled the room. Vincent looked over at Chell.

"And how are you this morning?"

Chell gave him a soft smile. Eliza rubbed her back.

"She's still a bit tired. Poor thing didn't get a wink of sleep." Eliza kissed the top of Chell's head. The girl blushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, I see how it is. Getting to old to be getting kisses from your old mother now, huh?" Eliza chuckled.

Chell shook her head.

"No?" Eliza smiled broadly. "So it's ok if I still do this?" Suddenly Eliza wrapped both arms around the girl's waist and began covering her in dozens of kisses. Chell was doubled over in silent laughter.

Wheatley watched with a small smile on his face.

_If only she knew what might be happening to her little girl._

He briefly wondered if he should tell Eliza what he feared was going on, but he'd expressed concern over Vincent before and she dismissed it. Unless he had proof, he didn't think it would do any good to tell her.

...

Breakfast was now over and Wheatley was in GLaDOS's chambers working on the next stack of invitations. He found it increasingly hard to focus on his work, and was trying his hardest not to fall asleep right at the table. He sincerely hoped she hadn't taken too much notice.

He felt his eyes try to flutter closed.

_Have to stay up._

He honestly wasn't sure how well he was doing on his work, but he assumed he wasn't doing too bad since GLaDOS hadn't snapped at him yet. Maybe she was too busy reading to notice.

Wheatley supported his head in his left hand, resting his elbow on the table. He used the ink bottle as a paperweight to hold the parchment still while he wrote.

_That helps a bit._

There was a knock at the chamber door. GLaDOS responded.

"Come in."

The door came open and Wheatley used what strength he had to look up. The Head of the Royal Guard was standing there.

"My Queen, I must speak with you."

GLaDOS nodded. "Of course." She looked over at Wheatley. "I'll just be a moment."

Wheatley gave a weak nod. With that, GLaDOS left the chamber.

With her out of the room, it became harder for him not to fall asleep.

_Maybe she'll be gone for a while and I can rest my head, just for a second._

Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

...

GLaDOS returned to her chambers to find Wheatley asleep at his station. She should have guessed. He's been struggling to stay awake all day. Part of her wanted to chastise him, the other couldn't help but admire how handsome and sweet he looked.

_I really should wake him up._

However, she decided otherwise, and simply stirred him just enough to lead him to the nearby couch.

Now that that was taken care of, she had more important things to tend to. As she returned to the door she just entered, she took another look at Wheatley.

_I really am getting soft these days._

Smiling to herself, she left the room.

...

_"DON'T KILL HER! PLEASE..."_

_Wheatley struggled to make it up the hill. Each time, it seemed harder and harder for him to reach her and each time he failed to stop the hooded man in time._

_He felt like time was running out for her, and he was powerless to stop it. But he had to. He couldn't lose her._

_He watched as the hooded man thrusted the knife into her._

_"NOOOOOOOOOO..."_

_The man disappeared and Wheatley put every ounce of effort to reach her, just as he had every time before._

_This time, however, as he reached the top, a pair of red eyes filled the sky..._

Wheatley woke up to discover himself somewhere he didn't recognize. The only light he could see was the tiny bit of moonlight that had snuck it's way through the closed curtains over the window. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, trying to make out where exactly he was.

_Last I remember, I was working on...oh, no._

He was in GLaDOS's chamber last he remembered, but he clearly wasn't in the dungeons. So was he still in her chambers?

Wheatley stood up and made his way to the window. He opened the curtains, and the moonlight shined bright enough for him to see his station and the couch he had just gotten up from.

_So I'm still in here. But how did I get to the couch? I'm sure I fell asleep at the table._

He also wondered why GLaDOS hadn't punished him. Although, now that he thought about it, he realized that she hadn't punished him since the accident that broke her wrist. If anything, she'd been quite kind actually, though, it hadn't really occurred to him until now.

_Honestly, I really shouldn't question my good fortune. Might ruin it._

He looked outside. The sky was so clear, you could practically see every star in the sky.

_I think I'll go outside for a bit. A night like this might be what I need after that nightmare._

With that, he closed the curtains, and cautiously made his way to the chamber door. Making sure not to make too much noise, he opened the door and headed down the hallway.

_I wonder how the sky would look from the roof? It's much closer than the back courtyard._

Deciding on the roof, he headed for the stairs that led up to it.

Once up there, Wheatley got a good view of the moon and stars.

_The sky looks absolutely amazing at night from up here._

He looked out over the Kingdom. He could see the street lamps glowing, creating a beautiful nighttime view.

_This is a perfect place to think._

Of course the nightmare took precedence at the immediate moment. It had been the same thing for months now, and suddenly there were those eyes.

_Red eyes._

The only person Wheatley knew that had eyes that color were Vincent. Maybe the nightmare was trying to warn him.

_Does that mean the woman in white is Chell?_

But Chell was a little girl, and he could clearly tell that the woman in white was an adult.

_A grown Chell then?_

It was possible, but he wasn't sure why Vincent would train her to use magic, just to wait until she was grown to kill her. What he did know was that whomever this woman was, meant a lot to him. He could feel it, even through the nightmare.

Wheatley laid down on his back and looked up at the sky. Trying to analyze the nightmare was a pain. He hadn't put too much thought into figuring it out until Eliza told him that it could come true. After that, he wondered if there was any truth to it and began taking more detailed notes on it in his journal.

His journal.

_I need to write this all out._

He stood up and returned to the staircase and went back into the castle.

...

**Forgive me for having a couch in GLaDOS's chamber. I tried looking up weather or not they had them back then, but couldn't find much on it, so I just went with it. :P**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Yeah I know, I have taken a LONG time to write on this story. But I haven't forgotten about it. Even my husband is on yalls side. LOL**

...

Wheatley spent the next several days working as fast as he could to finish the birthday invitations. The sooner he could finish them, the sooner he could be there to protect Chell from Vincent. Or at least, he hoped. He honestly didn't know what work GLaDOS had planned for him after this.

However, his quickness was coming with a price. GLaDOS had made him re-write at least tweleve invitations and it was killing his fingers and wrists. Part of him knew it would be better if he slowed down, but he found it very hard to do.

The dream. Those eyes.

It _had_ to mean something.

Of course anyone else would simply tell him that his paranoia was getting the better of him.

"Why don't you take a small break and get you something to eat?"

Wheatley looked up from his desk. She was right. Not needing to be told twice, he stood from his chair, gave GLaDOS a bow, and was out her chamber door.

The first thing Wheatley did was look for Eliza. If the kids were with her he didn't have to worry. He finally tracked her down in the Royal Dining Hall. She was polishing the surface.

"Eliza, where are the kids?"

She looked up from the table. "Out in the garden with Vincent."

With that he turned to leave. She stopped him.

"Didn't I tell you not to worry?" She gave him a soft, but stern look.

He sighed. "Yes you did, but..."

Eliza cut him off. "Then you needn't worry. The kids are fine. I just saw them myself a moment ago."

Wheatley sighed again. "As long as their ok."

"They are."

It didn't make his worry go away completely, but it did calm it a bit.

He nodded. "I'm going to let you get back to work. Sorry I worry so much."

"It's ok. It just means you love us."

Wheatley smiled.

Eliza smiled too. "I'll see you later."

He nodded and left the dining hall.

_Maybe I really AM paranoid._

Trying to put his mind at ease, he ate his lunch and chatted with some of the other servants. He missed talking to Eliza and Daniel, though. Ever since he was put on scribe duty, he only got to see them at breakfast and sometimes at night before bed. He didn't have time to do puppet shows for Chell these days either.

_Why does anyone ever choose this job? It's so lonley._

_..._

Today Wheatley was alone in GLaDOS's chambers. She was overseeing the recruitment of some new guard. The Head of the Royal Guard had informed her recently that one of her archers and been killed by a group of muggers in town and therefore would need a replacement.

It had saddened Wheatley to hear about it. Although he never met the Archer, he still felt sympathy for his loved ones. He remembered losing his grandmother when he was younger. There's no pain that is compareable to the loss of a loved one.

Wheatley's mind drifted to his dream. The woman in white seemed to be a loved one to his dream self. Every time she died, his dream self would feel that pain.

_All the more reason to figure out who she is._

Putting the thought aside for now, he went back to finishing up the last of the invitations. It felt good to finally be almost done. The birthday party was coming soon and the remaining ones needed to be sent out. Of course the previous sets had already, starting with the most important people. Wheatley knew he was going to be required to entertain the guests and he hoped he get to have a bit of rest between now and then.

Suddenly the door to the chamber opened and GLaDOS walked in.

"Well, that's been taken care of." She looked over at Wheatley. "I see you are almost done."

"Yes, my Queen."

"Excellent. We should be able to get these sent out in the morning. You've done well, Wheatley."

"Thank you, my Queen." He hesitated. She noticed it.

"Is there something else you wanted to say?"

Wheatley swallowed. "Um, well...sort of...kind of...well...yes...um, you see...I was wondering what you had planned for me after this? I know the King's birthday is soon and I had hoped that perhaps...well...if you'll allow it...I'd have a break so I can be well prepared to entertain the guests?"

GLaDOS paused, as if considering what he said.

"Very well. I grant you a break until after the King's party"

Wheatley couldn't stop himself from beaming. He got down on his knee and without thinking, grabbed her right hand and kissed the back of it.

"Oh, thank you, my Queen!"

GLaDOS smiled. "I do believe you still have a bit of work to do."

"Oh! Yes, of course." Wheatley rose and returned to his seat.

...

The next few weeks were some of the best Wheatley'd had in a while. No scribe duty ment he had time to see Eliza, Daniel, Chell and...well...everyone! Being stuck in GLaDOS's chambers day after day was quite lonley without someone to talk to. Well, of course, GLaDOS herself was there, but he couldn't very well strike up a casuel conversation with her, now could he?

Chell had begun showing him more of the magic Vincent had been teaching her. She seemed to really love it, but it worried Wheatley. He didn't like the idea of Vincent turning Chell evil. He knew he needed to have that talk with him, and what better time then when he was on break from his scribe duty. Knowing Vincent was most likely in the garden at this time of day, he took off out to the front courtyard.

When Wheatley got there, it didn't take him long to locate Vincent, even though his back was turned. He was trimming one of the new rose bushes. Nervous, Wheatley walk slowly towards him. As he got closer, he hesistated and was about to turn back when he heard Vincent speak.

"Hello, Jester"

"Oh, um. Hello, and it's Wheatley, remember?"

Vincent turned to face him. "Yes, that's right. So what can I do for you, Wheatley?"

He honestly didn't know where to start.

"Well, um, you see..."

"You're here about Chell, aren't you?"

Wheatley let out a breath. "How did you..."

"She told me you caught her using her gift."

"She _told_ you?"

"In the form of writing, yes."

"Oh, I thought for a minute..."

"That she actually spoke? No. As of right now, she still cannot."

"As of right now? So there is a way for her to speak?"

"Perhaps. But that remains to be seen. But that's not why your here."

"No. Um, it's not."

Vincent simply stares.

Wheatley puffs his chest out in imaginary courage.

"Well, you see. I don't know why you're teaching her magic or what your plan is, but I refuse to let anyone harm her."

Vincent simply smiles. "I have no wish to harm her. Only guide her. "

"But magic is only used by evil people, only someone who is evil would try and corrupt a little girl."

"That is what society has taught you to believe. Most people believe magic to be the stuff of legends and folk tales. It's the reason we cannot be open about our gifts."

"There has to be a reason you chose Chell."

Vincent shook his head. "You missunderstand. Magic isn't something you can teach anyone. You have to have a gift for it. Chell has that gift and great potential, but without proper guidance, she could easily harm herself or someone else and expose it to a world that will fear her."

Wheatley blinked. "So, she was born with this "gift"?"

Vincent nods. "Indeed she was."

"Then why are you just now deciding to teach her? and how did you know she had this gift?"

"To answer your first question, her gift has not began to make itself known to her until recently. Hence the need for me to guide her now. As for the second question, it isn't something you need to concern yourself with. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Who else knows about her gift?"

"As far as I know, only you, her mother, myself and my informant are aware of it."

"Your informant? Are they the one that told you about Chell? Who are they?"

Vincent picks up the wheelbarrel handles. "I have work to finish. The King's birthday is soon. Have a good day, Wheatley." He begins to walk away.

Wheatley stops him. "How do you know I believe you? How do you know I won't tell the Queen about this?"

Vincent aproaches Wheatley. "What do you think will happen if the Queen finds out? I would get executed, sure, but Chell would too, wouldn't she? It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. You love that little girl too much to let her suffer such a fate." He resumes his work.

Wheatley simply stands there, knowing he was right.

...

**Just as a note, I have Chapters 13-15 done as well. Deciding if I want to pace the uploads or not. Chapter 16 is in the works right now.**

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Here's Chapter 13. There is a part of this chapter that I have had written since I first started this story. I had been waiting for the moment I could put it into the story and I finally got it! Made a few minor tweaks, but kept 99% of the original scene I wrote almost 3 years ago. Kinda awesome.  
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**Anyway, enough of my ramblings... :)**

...

Wheatley hurried through the castle towards the servants quarters. He looked around and didn't see the person he was looking for. He spotted one of the kitchen workers.

He grabbed the young boy's arm. "Where's Eliza?"

The young cook, no more than 16 years old, was frightened by the slightly older man.

"Sh...she's upstairs."

"Which floor?"

"Th...third."

Wheatley let go of the boy's arm and headed up to find Eliza.

It wasn't hard to find her. She was sweeping the hallway.

"Eliza, I need to talk to you."

Looking up the woman sighed. "What is it, Wheatley?"

"Who's his informant?"

Perplexed she stared at him. "Who's what now?"

"Who...is...Vincent's...informant?"

Suddenly understanding, she shook her head. "So you finally talked to him. Didn't think it would take you long once he told me you knew."

"How long have you known about Chell?"

Eliza sighed. "I never knew for sure, but I knew it was possible."

"How?"

"That is none of your concern. Look, Wheatley. Stop worrying about these things that don't involve you. Trust that those of us who ARE involved are doing what we should."

"I don't want Vincent to make Chell evil."

Eliza sighed. "He won't. Trust me on this. He only wants to help her."

"How am I supposed to put faith into something when I don't know what the bloody hell is going on?" He said the last part quite loudly.

"Shhhhh." Eliza covered his mouth. "Don't need anyone hearing you."

Wheatley stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for her to say something.

"Ok, I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you this. Remember when I said I'd pissed off the Queen once before?"

Wheatley nodded.

"It was the day I took in Chell."

His eyes got wide. "She's not..."

"Not my blood daughter. And no, she has no idea, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"So, she was abandoned too?"

"Yes. And I knew her mother. She too has "the gift". That's how I knew it was a possibility Chell would as well. When she started showing signs, I grew concerned. I asked someone for advice. Not long after that, Vincent came to work here. He said he'd been asked to work undercover here to help guide her."

"How do you know you can trust him?"

"Because the person I got advice from chose him, and they would not have chosen someone evil."

'You're sure?"

"Yes, very. I've known this person for quite a number of years. Does that give you enough to trust that we are doing what's best?"

Wheatley thought for a moment. "I suppose it does."

"Good. Now if you don't mind, I have cleaning to do."

Wheatley nodded. "Hey, I'm sorry. I just..."

Eliza waved her hand dismissively. "I understand."

He nodded and began to walk to the staircase. He absentmindedly glanced at the mysterious door on his way. No light.

...

Over the course of the next few days, Wheatley couldn't help but see Eliza a bit differently. She was still Eliza, of course, but knowing she more or less adopted Chell _and _Doug made everything take on a new light. Eliza had taken on the responsibility of _two_ children who were not her own and even stood up to the Queen to keep them. In Wheatley's eyes, that made Eliza a better mother than either Chell or Doug could have ever had.

This made him wonder about the Queen though. She let Eliza keep them. Wheatley wondered if she had a soft spot for children. That would explain why she put up with Eliza's defiance.

He wondered if she wanted a child of her own. There wasn't an heir to the throne as of yet.

_Well if she wanted a child, how come she hasn't had one?_

Maybe she couldn't have one. The thought made Wheatley sad for some reason.

He decided there wasn't a point to asking himself questions like that. Eliza was right on one thing. He needed to try and not worry himself over things that were not his concern and the Queen's fertility was one of them.

Instead he decided to focus on his entertainment for the party, which was in a few days. He hoped the King was pleased with his performance.

...

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

Wheatley had woken up from the nightmare again. The more that time when on, the more intense the dream seemed to get. Though the red eyes were gone now. He didn't have much time to dwell on it though. It was the King's birthday and the party would be starting in a few hours. Wheatley got up and cleaned himself up, got dressed, and went out to eat breakfast.

The castle was bustling with activity. Everyone was finishing any last minute details for the celebration. Wheatley noticed it was significantly larger than the one for the Queen's birthday. For some reason, it irritated him.

_**"You wouldn't be anywhere without me. I was born into the throne. The only reason you even have a royal title is because of me. So don't even start talking to me about appreciation!"**_

Wheatley remembered the Queen mentioned that to the King a while back.

_If that's true, then why is it he gets a bigger celebration than the Queen? Wouldn't it make sense for HER to have a bigger party? _Wheatley wondered.

Again he tried to push away the thought. It wasn't his concern, so he shouldn't spend time worrying about it, right?

_Oh, man this is going to take some getting used to._

...

A few hours later, the party was underway and the castle was filled to the brim with people. Wheatley's performance seemed to go quite well and he noticed the King seemed pleased. Wheatley breathed a sigh of relief. After his performance he went around the room, doing small tricks and telling jokes to random individuals. He had to bow and apologize to one short round man who was not happy with him speaking to him. After a bit, Wheatley decided to try and take a break. He snuck himself a glass of punch. He stood there drinking it, watching the party-goers. Looking over at GLaDOS, he noticed she was wearing the lavender dress she tried on a few weeks ago. It really did look good on her. Wheatley blushed as he realized he was eying her cleavage.

_Control yourself!_

He tried to listen to his inner voice and looked away. Suddenly, he noticed, in the darkest corner, away from everyone else, Princess Caroline stood there, watching the party like he was. She noticed he was looking at her. She smiled and nodded to him in acknowledgement. He began to cross the room towards her. As he got three quarters of the way across the room, she turned and exited out a nearby door. Wheatley quickened his pace. He enters the door. She was nowhere to be seen.

_What the...?_

Wheatley went down the hall, looking in every door on the way. Nothing.

_She couldn't have just disappeared._

After searching for the Princess for over an hour, Wheatley gave up. Wherever she had gone, he imagined she didn't want to be found.

He returned to the party. The King approached him.

"Where did you run off to, Jester?"

Wheatley's stomach sank. He bowed. "Oh, I'm so sorry my King, but...I had to go to the little Jester's room."

"Ah, I see. Well get back out there and entertain my guests."

"Yes, my King." Wheatley rose and returned to his entertaining.

...

The King's birthday party had worn out almost everyone at the castle. The party had been a success, however, and that was really the only thing that mattered. Wheatley crawled up into bed and wrote in his journal. He mostly wrote about the Princess and how she seemed to vanish. Maybe the townspeople had been right all along, and she really _was_ a ghost. After all, he had never actually come into physical contact with her and the only other person who ever talked about her was Eliza. Eliza knew magic was real, so maybe she knew ghost were too. If so, then maybe that's why she always told Wheatley not to talk about her. Because people would think he was crazy.

After finishing what he wanted to write, he put the journal away and tried to get some sleep.

_It was the same every time. The woman in white on the hill, the man in the black cloak, the knife, the woman's death. He'd seen all this before. He knew how it was going to end, yet for some reason he kept fighting. Kept trying to save her and every time he'd fail. But no how many times he failed, he never stopped trying._

_Just like before, the hooded man rose the knife and stabbed the woman in white in the chest. He disappeared and Wheatley ran faster up the hill, trying to reach her. As he got to the top, he noticed something new. A hooded woman in blue, standing in the distance, watching. As he reached out for the woman in white, the woman in blue turned and disappeared into the woods..._

Wheatley woke up. Looking out his window he noticed it was still nighttime. He needed somewhere to think.

_Tonight's a clear night. I think I'll head to the roof._

He began to ascend the stairs. As he passed the third floor, he once again looked for the light under the door.

Nothing.

Silently sighing to himself, he continued up the stairs. Upon reaching the rooftop, he noticed the Queen standing against the wall, looking out toward the kingdom below. She was wearing her nightgown.

He turned around to leave when he heard what sounded like faint crying. Looking back at the Queen, he realized it was coming from her. He began to walk toward her.

_What the hell are you doing? You'll never get another torture free day for the rest of your life if you let her see you._

Despite his brain's warning, he continued to get closer.

"What made you decide to come up here?" GLaDOS asked, not turning to face him.

Wheatley swallowed. "Um. You see, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep and I like to go walking on nights like this. It was a clear outside so I thought I'd come up here, get a good look at the sky, but since your here and I don't want to disturb you, I'll just head back downstairs." He turned to leave.

"Stop."

He did.

"Did you mean what you said before?"

Confused, he turned back to face her. She was now looking at him. Her eyes almost glowing in the moonlight.

"What are you referring to, my Queen?"

GLaDOS shifted her gaze to stare beyond him. "The night of my birthday when you eavesdropped on our conversation. Did you mean what you said about a man cherishing his wife?" She seemed to have a hard time asking.

Remembering that night he nodded. "Yes I did."

It suddenly occurred to him why she had been crying.

"Um. I may be completely out of line by asking this, but you and the King got into a fight again didn't you?"

"Unfortunately." She turned back to look at the kingdom.

Wheatley had actually expected her to get mad or tell him it was none of his business. He honestly hadn't expected for her to answer him.

As if on instinct, he walked up to stand beside her. "I'm so sorry."

She looked at him. "What could you possibly be sorry for?"

Wheatley shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm sorry he acts that way. It's a shame he's so blind that he can't see how much his words hurt your feelings."

GLaDOS smiled a small smile. "Well, in that case, Thank You."

He bowed. "Your Welcome, my Queen."

She smiled as he rose and much to Wheatley's surprise, gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"You enjoy your night, Wheatley." She walked towards the stairwell and headed back inside. Wheatley simply stood there in shock.

...

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: :)**

...

Wheatley spent the remainder of the night writing about GLaDOS in his journal. He knew he found her attractive, but now he was convinced there was more too it. That kiss, though only on his cheek, had filled him with a feeling he hadn't felt since he was a boy. It was that feeling that led him to realize something ...He had feelings for Queen GLaDOS. He woke up the next morning tired from lack of sleep, but he didn't care.

He knew everybody was curious about what had put him in such a good mood. But he was afraid if he told them and GLaDOS found out, she'd be upset. She had been in a vulnerable state when she kissed his cheek. He knew she didn't like to look vulnerable. So he kept it to himself, though unable to hide how happy he was. He tried not to let the reality of knowing he'd never have her bring him down. For now, he just wanted to enjoy this feeling.

The King was leaving for another trip in a few days. He said it would be the last one for a while. A part of Wheatley was sad, though. The King obviously didn't appreciate the beautiful Queen and everything he's gained since marrying her. She deserved someone who would truly love her.

_Like you?_

Wheatley ignored his inner voice. She could never love him. He was simply a jester. Noone worthy of her love. Though he knew there was a part of him that wished he was.

He had attended a few training sessions with Vincent and Chell. It was truly amazing what she was capable of. She loved her gift. She even found a way to communicate through images she'd make out of her powers. Wheatley had been meaning to ask Vincent about that. Once Chell was done with her training, Wheatley pulled Vincent off to the side.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

Vincent nodded.

"Well, the last time we talked, I asked about Chell being able to speak. You said it remained to be seen. What did you mean by that?"

Vincent crossed his arms. "There is a spell. It's has very powerful healing ability. It's possible that this spell could heal her vocal cords, allowing her to speak. However, it's not guarenteed."

Wheatley's eyes grew wide. "Do you know how to do this spell?"

Vincent shook his head. "I do not. The only people who know how to do that spell are the members of the underground mages council. Rare magical ingrediants are required to do it. However, they won't do a spell like that unless it's an emergancy situation. Unfortunately, Chell is not in any life treatening danger."

Wheatley's heart sank. "Oh."

Vincent put a hand on Wheatley's shoulder. "I know how you feel. It's hard to see her, knowing there's a way that could very well help her situation, and not be able to do anything about it."

Wheatley nodded. He agreed. It sucked.

...

A few days later, the King was leaving for his trip. The Queen had gone down to the docks to see him off, like she always did. Wheatley stood nearby as she gave him a goodbye kiss. It angered Wheatley that he could stand there and pretend to love her. He didn't let his anger show, however. After the ship set sail and was out of sight, the Queen started the walk back to the castle. Wheatley followed close behind her. He looked towards the sky and noticed the clouds were getting dark.

_Hopefully we'll get back before it rains._

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a dark figure in the trees. The next few seconds seemed to go by in slow motion. He saw the figure raise what looked like a bow. Wheatley instictively pushed GLaDOS back as the arrow hit him in his shoulder. As he hit the ground he heard the guards begin rushing to protect GLaDOS as well as find the source of the arrow. He could feel hot burning pain spreading from the arrow. Two guards lifted Wheatley off the ground. The last thing Wheatley remembered seeing was GLaDOS's fearful face looking back at him. Then everything went black.

...

At first, everything was a blur. All he could make out was some colors and light. After some effort, his eyes began to focus. GLaDOS was standing next to the bed he was lying in. Wheatley couldn't help but smile a little when he saw her.

"I'm honored your here my Queen."

GLaDOS looked at him, upon realizing he was awake.

"Wheatley. Your awake." She pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down.

He wanted to know what she was doing here, but figured he'd ruin his good fortune if he did. So he thought of something else to ask instead.

"Did they find the guy who shot the arrow?"

GLaDOS shook her head. "No, they did not."

"Do they know what kind of arrow it was? Because I remember it burning right after I was hit."

"It was dipped in some kind of poison. You almost didn't make it." He swore there was a small crack in her voice.

Wheatley felt his heart stopped for a brief second.

_I almost DIED?!_

GLaDOS continued to speak. "Luckly the physician was able to save you." He could see her eyes were glossed over with tears she wouldn't let fall.

Wheatley didn't know if it was whatever medicine the physican had given him, or if it was the fact he knew he almost died, but he couldn't stop himself.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say your presence here means you actually care about me." He gave her a smile.

Surprisingly, she lightly blushed and gave a small smile of her own. "Might want to keep that to yourself. I have a reputation to uphold you know."

Wheatley gave a slight chuckle, then winced in pain.

"Careful. You need take it easy so you can recover fully."

He gave her a small nod.

"Well now that you have woken up, I'm going to return to my duties. You be sure to follow the physican's orders, Wheatley. That's a royal order." She gave another small smile.

He returned the smile. "You have my word, my Queen."

...

Wheatley spent the next week in bed recovering. Eliza and the kids would come in and out throughout the day to visit. Much to his pleasure, GLaDOS made time to come see him everyday as well. She'd ask him how he was doing and she'd update him on the progress (or lack thereof) the guards had made in locating the assassin. She was frustrated, as was Wheatley. Someone tried to extinquish the light in GLaDOS's eyes. He wanted that person brought to justice.

_The light in her eyes? When did you become a romantic?_

He ignored the voice, which had been annoying him with things like that everytime she come to see him. His feelings for her felt so much stronger when she was here. He'd fought the urge to reach out and hold her hand on several occasions.

On one particular visit, Vincent came in to see him.

Upon seeing the young man, GLaDOS stood. "Well, it seems you have company and I must return to my duties anyway."

She left the room.

...

Standing outside the door, GLaDOS listened to Wheatley talk to Vincent. They were talking about Chell.

"How is her training coming along?"

"Very well. She's looking forward to showing you what she's learned when you get out of here. She can already manipulate small flames now."

_Talented, just like her mother. _GLaDOS thought.

Suddenly she heard Wheatley say something that really caught her attention.

"I'm so glad she found her own unique "voice" if you will. This is so much easier than guessing. Though I wish we could get the mages council to fix her actual voice."

GLaDOS listened as Vincent agreed it was a shame.

_Unique voice, huh?_

She just might have to add writing a letter on her list of things to do today.

...

He was pissed.

_That damn jester._

If it hadn't been for him, he would have hit his target. He'd have to lay low for a while before attempting it again. Word is the jester survived. That means the Queen would have too. He'll have to resort to plan B.

Luckly, nobody had a clue how close he actually was.

He took a drag on his cigar as he watched Vincent trim up the trees.

_Soon, dear Queen. Soon._

...

**Reviews are always welcome.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Sorry this one took a bit longer to post. My son just started school for the first time and we had a lot of meetings and preparations that had to be taken. It took me a bit to realize that I hadn't posted this already. My apologies. :)**

...

"You may get out of bed now."

Wheatley had waited all week to hear the physician say that. He fought the urge to jump up. He didn't want to aggravate his shoulder. It wasn't completely healed, but mostly. It still hurt a bit if he put to much strain on it.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me while I've been here. If there's anything I can do for you..."

The physician held her hand up and smiled. "No need I assure you."

Wheatley smiled and nodded, leaving the room. Everyone was eating breakfast when he walked into the servants dining room.

Chell saw him and immediately ran to hug him.

Wheatley laughed. "Glad to see someone's happy to see me."

Eliza smiled. "Of course. She looks up to you like a father you know."

This filled Wheatley with a great deal of pride. "Well her and Doug are the closest I've ever had to kids."

Chell beamed and hugged him again. Vincent chimed in on the conversation.

"I guess that makes me and Daniel like uncles then." He laughed.

Wheatley laughed as well. "I guess so."

He sat down and enjoyed breakfast with his extended little family.

...

Several hours later, he stood in GLaDOS's chamber. He knew his break was long over. He had quite enjoyed it, but he supposed it was back to work for him. Something good had come out of the break. He learned he could trust Vincent and that GLaDOS even liked him. Perhaps not in the way he would like, but he wasn't going to complain.

After a few moments, GLaDOS came out of the back room. She wore her usual white and gold dress.

"Hello, Wheatley. How are you feeling?"

"My shoulder still hurts if I put too much strain on it, but otherwise I'm pretty good."

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Wheatley, I've been thinking. There is an assassin after me and you saw him before the guards did. If you hadn't I'd have been the one in the infirmary. You saved my life."

Wheatley blushed. "Well, I just reacted on instinct really."

GLaDOS smiled."Well you have good instincts. What would you say to a promotion?"

He wasn't sure if he heard right. "Promotion, my Queen?"

She nodded. "Yes. You would be my personal bodyguard. You'd be responsible for escorting me on trips outside the castle, even trips out of the kingdom. The pay is significantly better."

Wheatley wasn't sure if he could be a good bodyguard, but after what happened, he didn't think he could refuse. He didn't want anything to happen to her. GLaDOS continued.

"You would be trained to use a sword and shield. I suspect it wouldn't take you long to get the hang of it. You already proved you have sharp eyes."

"Thank you, my Queen." He bowed. "I'd be honored to accept the job."

GLaDOS smiled. "I'm quite happy to hear that. You begin your training tomorrow morning. I will see that your new room is prepared immediately."

"New room?"

GLaDOS nodded. "Yes. As my personal bodyguard, you will occupy the spare room in my personal chambers."

Wheatley could feel the heart in his chest beat faster. He'd be sleeping in the spare room next to her's.

"Well, I'm sure you want to get prepared for the morning. I'll see you tomorrow, Wheatley." She gave him a smile.

"Indeed you will, my Queen." He bowed and exited her chambers.

...

"Her personal bodyguard?" Eliza said, shocked.

"Yes. I start sword training tomorrow morning."

"Have you ever even used a sword before?" Daniel asked.

Wheatley nodded. "We used to fend the wolves off the sheep back home with them. I might be a little rusty these days though."

"Well at least your not going in blind." Eliza said.

Wheatley laughed. "That may be, but I was never too good at using the sword in the first place."

Vincent put a hand on Wheatley's shoulder. "I'll pray for you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Vincent laughed.

Eliza stood. "Well, I have to pack for our trip, so I'll talk to you guys later."

Wheatley stopped her. "Your going on a trip?"

Eliza nodded. "Yes. We'll be gone for a week, maybe two."

Wheatley looked at her, worry written on his face.

"Don't worry, Vincent has agreed to come with us. We'll be safe, I promise." She placed her hand on his arm.

He nodded. "You better be." He gave her a smile.

She smiled back. "We will. Now if you'll excuse me."

Once she was gone, Wheatley walked to Vincent's door. He knocked three times.

"Yes?"

Wheatley opened the door. Walking in, he closed he door behind him. Vincent was packing his bag.

"What's this trip your going on?"

Vincent continued to pack his bag as he spoke.

"My informant has managed to get us in to see the Mages council. They are going to see what they can do about Chell's voice."

Vincent stopped packing. He turned to look at Wheatley.

"I have to wonder if you said something to my informant to give them such an idea."

Wheatley shook his head.

"I haven't told anyone about Chell or magic or anything. I have no idea how your informant got the idea. Maybe if you told me who your informant is..."

"Not a chance." Vincent said, cutting him off. "Good try though." He gave Wheatley a smile.

Wheatley sighed. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

Vincent laughed. "Actually I could."

Wheatley's face froze.

"But I won't." Vincent smiled.

Wheatley sighed in relief, then laughed. "Well, that's good to know."

Vincent laughed. "Indeed it is. Now if you don't mind I'd like to be ready for this trip so we can leave on time."

"Oh, of course. I'll get out of your way. And Vincent?"

The man looked back up.

"Please take care of them."

"I will guard them with my life."

Satisfied, Wheatley left the room.

...

The nest morning Wheatley was in the back courtyard. He tried to block the swordsman's attacks. He was straining to do so.

"Hold your shield higher. It's too close to the ground. The enemy could easily disarm you."

Wheatley complied and kept trying to block the swordsman's attacks. After a while the swordsman called for a break, and Wheatley was more than grateful for it. Suddenly one of the archer's approached him. He was smoking a cigar.

"Would you like a drink? You looked like you were going to pass out there for a minute."

Wheatley laughed, the fatigue apparent. "Yes, please."

The archer handed him a mug of water.

"Hey, you look familiar. Aren't you the Queen's jester? What are you doing out here training with that swordsman?"

Wheatley gulped down over half the mug. "I was the jester. Now I'm the Queen's personal bodyguard. She said I have sharp eyes."

Before the archer could say anything else, the swordsman returned and continued Wheatley's training.

The archer went back to his post.

_So she's training the jester to protect her. That might complicate matters. _

_..._

By the end of the day, Wheatley was exhausted. He dragged himself back to the servants quarters. As he entered his room, he found it empty.

_What the...? Oh, that's right. I have a new room now._

He felt a bit sad. He wouldn't be next door to Eliza and the kids anymore. He was going to be all the way up on the fourth floor.

With a bit of sadness filling him, he slowly drug himself up to GLaDOS's chamber. Once there, he knocked.

"You may enter."

Wheatley opened the door. GLaDOS looked up at him, the sadness evident on his face.

"What's bothering you?"

He tried to put of a brave face. "Nothing, my Queen. Just a bit tired after today's training."

She put her book down. "Your not fooling me, Wheatley."

He looked down at the floor.

She stood up and walked towards him, sat down on the couch, and motioned for him to follow.

"Will you please tell me what's wrong?"

Wheatley looked up. Her voice was so full of gentleness he almost wasn't sure it was her.

"It's just, I realize that with this new job, I'll miss my friends. A lot of us servents have become like a second family. I'm going to miss them."

GLaDOS smiled. "You're not moving out of the castle. You will still get to see them. Maybe not as often as you did before, but when I'm not outside of the castle, your free to roam the castle at will, and that includes being able to spend a bit of time with them."

Wheatley looked up. "Really?"

GLaDOS laughed. "Yes. You won't have to follow me all the time. Inside the castle I'm safe. There are dozens of guards to protect me. I just need you up hear at night, because we have less guards on duty then and if someone tries to breach the castle, I'll need you to protect me." She placed her hand on top of his.

Wheatley blushed. Her hand felt good on top of his and it was nice to hear her say she needed him. It also made him feel good to know he'd still get to see his family.

Sensing his change in mood, she stood up. "Well I hope that little talk helped you. Now if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room."

He stood up and followed her. She led him through the door on the right of the room. When he walked in, he couldn't believe how big the room was. It was probably bigger than his and Eliza's rooms combined. The bed was even big enough for two. There was a desk and chair, a large wardrobe, an armor/weapon stand, and a large storage chest. Even the living area was bigger with a full sized couch, fireplace, two chairs, coffee table, and side tables. The side tables even had a lantern on each of them.

_Wow! I wouldn't know what to do with all this room._

"What do you think?" GLaDOS's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"I think it's big."

She chuckled. "Well I'm sure you'll get used to it."

She pointed to the door they entered. "Whenever you leave or turn in for the night, it is to be locked."

She pointed to a second door. "That door leads directly to my room. It does not have a lock. That way if something happens you can get to me faster."

Wheatley nodded.

"Well I'll let you get acquainted with your new room. I'm going to turn in for the night." She handed him a set of keys."Don't forget to lock up."

He nodded. "Yes, my Queen."

She headed towards the second door. Before entering, she turned to look at him with a soft smile.

"Goodnight, Wheatley."

He returned the smile.

"Goodnight, my Queen."

...

**Reviews are always welcome.**


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